YuGiOh: The Elemental Duelists Saga
by Santoryuu
Summary: Six mysterious duelists have challenged Yugi and his friends. But what do they really want? In today's chapter: Our final chapter. Yugi and Needlez finish their duel, as Brian and Tim try to stop Needlez's plan.
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: If we really owned the rights to Yu-Gi-Oh do you think we would be writing this fic? Yugi, his friends (and enemies), and cards belong to the creators of the show and card game, all original characters and cards belong to us.

Warning: This fic will contain some scenes of violence and some offensive language. Viewer discretion is advised.

A/N: This is our first fic, and there are three of us working on it. Hopefully that will keep us updating regularly. Any references or connections to other fics are purely coincidental.

**Santoryuu presents**

**YU-GI-OH**

**The Elemental Duelist Saga**

**Chapter 1**

**Prologue**

_Have you ever played the game Duel Monsters?_

_It's a really fun collectible card game, where both players get to use the power of legendary monsters, amazing spells, and clever traps to attempt to reduce their opponent's life points to zero._

_What few people realize, is that this seemingly harmless card game was once a threat to all mankind._

_Over ten thousand years ago, humans shared this world with the creatures of legends: dragons, fairies, fiends, and more, until a great catastrophe unleashed a new element known as "Orichalcum" on the world. _

_Humanity was quickly corrupted by the power of this mysterious green stone, and in the end almost destroyed itself. _

_The monsters managed to escape a similar fate by hiding in a new world, made just for them. _

_Eventually, humans were able to rebuild, and rebuilt their societies. However, there were some people who managed to keep some of the powers the Orichalcum gave them. This allowed them to call forth the creatures back into this world to assist them. Some people used this power for good, helping others and protecting the weak. Others used it for evil, subjugating entire countries at will. Eventually, those who were able to would use their monsters to battle each other. In these dangerous battles, the loser would often forfeit their own soul, and new monsters began to appear as people learned how to turn parts of their spirit into creatures! _

_Eventually, all this was brought to an end by a great and powerful pharaoh in ancient Egypt, over 5000 years ago._

_Despite his power though, the pharaoh couldn't change what had happened in the past. What he did not know was that there were people outside of Egypt who had the power to call forth these monsters, and over two thousand years before the pharaoh even existed there was such a person in what is considered Brazil today._

_The legends say that long before the conquistadors' ancestors had even existed, there was a flourishing society in the jungles of South America. These people used the power of the monsters they summoned to improve their every day life. _

_What's more, each person who could summon such creatures dedicated themselves to one of the six governing elements of these creatures: fire, water, earth, wind, light, or darkness. Each of them would be given a crystal to assist them and their monsters with their duties of helping others._

_Then, one day, a child was born under the influence of an unusual crystal. This boy was incredibly gifted with calling forth strange and wonderful creatures that had never been seen before. _

_He was, of course, treated as a powerful mystic, and when the time came he dedicated himself to an element. A new element that his people called "the divine element" and he was given a special crystal to enhance his powers. The boy matured quickly, and soon showed mastery with his own element and all others as well! _

_Such a mystic had never been seen before, and he was praised as the "Elemental Master." Using his powers, this mystic gained much respect and admiration from his people, saving them from disasters, droughts, and other hazards._

_As time went on though, the Elemental Master began to question his role. He had so much power, and yet he served the people. "Shouldn't it be the people serving me?" He realized one day, "After all, I am like a god with these powers! Without my help, this civilization would cease to exist!" And so, the once peaceful mystic began using his powers for his own selfish reasons. _

_At first, it was just small things: complaining that the payment for his services wasn't large enough, demanding more freedom, and other such things. Eventually though, he began demanding control over the cities of the kingdom. _

_The first to refuse felt the effects immediately: Fire rained upon them and a deadly wind carried disease and pestilence over the city. The earth grew dry, so no plants would grow, and massive storms flooded the area. After that, no one would dare to deny the Elemental Master anything he desired, except for several of his fellow mystics. _

_They realized that he had allowed his power to corrupt him, and so they laid a trap to stop him. One of them offered the master his own powers, to increase the strength of "the strongest of all the mystics." The Elemental Master gladly accepted, and was prepared to take these powers, when the other mystics ambushed him. A battle ensued, each side calling in their strongest creatures and using their mightiest elemental spells. Several of the good mystics fell, and soon only a few remained. The Elemental Master then called upon one of his most powerful spells, unleashing an unstoppable energy upon his remaining foes. _

_He turned his back on them, believing them dead, but the mystics gathered the last of their power and struck down their foe with a mighty spell. The spell killed the Elemental Master, and then sealed away the power he had gained over the six main elements. These powers were each placed within a powerful seal, and the master's soul fled, carrying with him only his original power of divine._

_For seven thousand years, the soul of the Elemental Master watched over humanity, waiting for a chance to reclaim his lost power._

_Waiting, and plotting._

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A shadowy figure sat near the front of a huge chamber.

Taking out a pocket watch set with a shimmering green stone, he checked the time. Suddenly, six columns burst up in front of him! One made of shadows, one of light, and the other four of flame, water, wind, and stone.

The figure smiled as six other figures stepped out of the columns.

"I'm glad ye're all on time." He said with a lightly Scottish accent, "I trust the six of ye are ready?"

"Yes my lord." Stated the first figure.

"Of course." Said the second.

"As always." The third one said.

"I am prepared!" Shouted the fourth.

"All ready sir!" The fifth one giggled.

"You know it!" The sixth one announced.

"Good." Said the one with the pocket watch, "Ye have yer orders, and I expect them to be followed to the letter. Now git moving!"

The six columns flared up again, leaving the figure in the chair alone. He silently glanced at an opening in the wall behind his seat.

"Very soon now." He muttered.

_Who is this mysterious figure, and what are the orders he's given to these underlings? If you want to find out, you'll have to check our next chapter titled:_

_A Midsummer Nightmare_

_See you then!_

A/N: Here's our first chapter, we are holding the others hostage. If you want to see them unharmed, please review. Constructive criticism is both welcome and appreciated.


	2. A Midsummer Nightmare

Disclaimer: If we really owned the rights to Yu-Gi-Oh do you think we would be writing this fic? Yugi, his friends (and enemies), and cards belong to the creators of the show and card game, all original characters and cards belong to us.

Warning: This fic will contain some scenes of violence and some offensive language. Viewer discretion is advised.

A/N: The Prologue was kind of short, we know, but this chapter should be a bit more satisfying. Before we continue though, we thought we'd let you know how duels in this fic will work.

Both players start with 8000 LP instead of 4000 like on the show.

Most cards will have the effects they have in the real world, with a few exceptions (Card of Sanctity for instance).

Just to get this out of the way: I have a couple characters use Card of Demise incorrectly in this fic. I (Older Hokage) didn't realize my mistake, and by the time I did I couldn't change anything.

Therefore, for future reference, Card of Demise will have the following effect in this fic: Draw five cards. After five end phases have passed, discard your entire hand before your draw phase.

I know this effect is wrong, but I only use the card three times through the entire fic so It should be okay.

Just so you know, any cards listed at the bottom of the fic belong to us unless otherwise noted. You need our permission to use them.

Glad that's all out of the way (probably should have put all this in the intro!). We now return you to your regularly scheduled chapter.

**Chapter 1**

**A Midsummer Nightmare**

It was a hot Saturday afternoon at Domino City Zoo. The animals hid in the shade to keep cool and the tourists mimicked this action. As noon approached, two familiar characters were sitting near the fountain.

The first was a blond haired teenager wearing a white t-shirt that had blue stripes on the sleeve. His jeans were torn at the knees to help him try to cool off in the summer's heat.

A girl sat beside him by the fountain, her long brown hair being blown by gentle breezes. She wore a pink tank top and denim shorts, looking up at her brother with her hazel eyes.

They were Joey and Serenity Wheeler, a brother and sister out for the day at the Domino City Zoo.

"So Serenity," Joey asked, "what do ya think of the zoo?"

His sister gave a great big smile.

"It's wonderful! Thank you for bringing me here Joey!"

She threw her arms around her brother with such force as to send them both into the fountain. They were both very wet now. Joey was thankful he left his duel disk and deck in his back pack, which was back on the ledge of the fountain.

He was thankful for a lot of things, almost a year before he had come so close to losing everything when a mad man named Dartz had acquired the power of a world destroying beast.

He was surprised things had gotten back to normal so quickly. Now it was almost summer again, and that meant he and Yugi could take on the tournaments again.

What he failed to remember was just how long things actually _remain_ normal when you play a game that's over ten thousand years old.

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Observing from a short distance away in the shadow of a nearby tree, a mysterious figure smiled as it watched the two siblings climb out of the water.

"_Target located."_ The figure thought.

Stepping out from the shadow, the figure began to move toward the fountain

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After getting out of the water, the two discussed how they would spend the rest of their day.

"I know!" Serenity exclaimed joyfully, "Let's go to the bat exhibit. It should be nice and cool in there because it's so dark."

Joey shuddered at the thought, "What if one of those things gets in my hair?" he asked in a trembling voice.

Joey played and replayed the scene in his mind, a flying rodent being tangled on top of his head.

"You won't have to worry about that," said a mysterious voice behind them, "bats are expert pilots, especially in the dark."

They turned around to see a young man about three years older than Joey. He had light brown hair and blue eyes. A black gem hung around his neck and matched the color of his t-shirt. Blue jeans were torn and frayed where they met with his gray sneakers.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but over hear your conversation." He apologized. "My name is Brian, Brian Hokage. It's nice to meet you face to face Joseph."

"How did you know my name?" asked Joey.

Brian chuckled, "How couldn't I know your name is a better question Joseph. Everyone knows you were in the finals of both Duelist Kingdom and Battle City. News of both those tournaments reached all around the world."

Joey smiled as he stood up and shook Brian's hand

"Well, I don't mean to brag or nuthin'…" He started.

Serenity started to giggle and whispered to her brother, "Maybe he wants to join your fan club."

Joey stopped talking and blushed a bit.

"Oh yeah, this is my sister, Serenity." He explained

"Nice to meet you." Serenity said.

"Likewise." Brian said he shook her hand, "Now, I couldn't help but overhear you two were going to the bat exhibit. Would you mind a little company? I came here by myself today but it's been awfully lonesome."

Joey looked the new arrival over.

"I don't know…" He started

"Joey! Don't be rude." Serenity scolded.

She pulled her brother aside.

"Besides," She whispered, "He probably just wants to meet you and be seen hanging out with you since you're a celebrity. It couldn't hurt for a little while. He seems really nice too."

"Alright," Joey sighed, "but any funny business from him and he's gone."

Serenity smiled and turned to Brian.

"We'd love to have you hang out with us." She said with a big smile.

Brian returned with a grin of his own.

"Awesome!" He said, "Thank you, you've really made my day. My traveling companions don't like the zoo so…"

"It's no problem, really." Joey interrupted, "Now let's go!"

Joey grabbed his backpack and they set off.

As they were walking, Joey kept his eye on this new "fan."

_"If he knows I'm a great duelist," _Joey thought, _"then he's probably going to challenge me to a duel. Or ask me to introduce him to Yugi or something like that. Either way, I should keep an eye on this guy."_

The three of them went a few exhibits over and reached a large building with a sign in front that said, "Nocturnal Animals Exhibits: NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY."

"_Aw crud. I should have spent more time thinking of an excuse not to go in here and less time watching Brian!"_

Joey and the others stepped inside and shivered as he heard the sound of screeching echo from further inside.

"Well, we saw the creepy nighttime things. Let's go home now." Joey suggested, a cold sweat running down his spine.

Serenity grabbed him by the arm and almost literally dragged him through the short corridor.

"C'mon Joey, stop being a coward!" she ordered.

Brian laughed at the sight of the great duelist being pushed around by his little sister.

The three of them walked into the bat exhibit, Joey trembling with each step. Inside, the trio found themselves on a dimly lit stone pathway overlooking a huge cave-like area. There was nothing but a short fence along the edge of the path, and past that was a large drop to a fake cave floor below.

Looking around, Joey saw that there was only one other person in the exhibit with them, a girl who seemed to be about his age, though that was all he could make out in the gloom of the area. He could hear screeching and the sound of wings flapping but there were no bats down below.

That's when the girl gasped and pointed up, where they saw many little furry creatures flying around freely in the room.

"Wow!" Serenity whispered, "Joey, have you ever seen anything like this?"

Joey didn't answer; he was far too busy being scared out of his mind. The young duelist couldn't move, all he could do was stare fearfully at the winged rodents above him and resist the urge to faint.

It was then that something happened. Joey felt someone shove against his back! He struggled to stay balanced, but fell over the rail and plummeted a full fifteen feet toward the stone floor below that was designed to look like a cave that the bats might stay in if the were in the wild.

Joey hit this surface with a dull thud heard throughout the chamber.

Serenity's eyes were wide with fright.

"Joey!" She screamed, certain her brother could be hurt, or worse.

The girl who pointed out the bats now grabbed Serenity's hand and led her out of the exhibit.

"We should get the zoo keepers!" The girl shouted

Brian turned toward the panicked girl.

"I'll stay here with your brother to make sure he's okay." He called out

The two girls ran out of the cave while Brian stayed behind. Once the girls were gone, the young man jumped down into the pit and pulled Joey up off the floor.

Joey moaned as he woke up.

"What hit me?"

Brian walked a little ways away from Joey, his left arm clouded by the shadows in the cave.

"I did, so I can complete my mission." He said.

Joey balled up his hands into fists.

"What did you say!" He shouted.

Brian sighed.

"I'm going to pretend you're not as stupid as I've heard and assume that bump to your head addled your brain a bit. I knocked you down here so I could duel you." He explained

Brian turned toward Joey, but now he was wearing a duel disk on his left arm.

"I honestly did not want to resort to scare tactics." Brian said, "I really don't like dueling that way. But I also couldn't afford any witnesses so I had no choice. Really, this whole idea just doesn't sit well with me, but my master gave me my orders and I must obey."

At that time, Joey felt someone tap on his shoulder. He turned around and screamed as he saw a shadow standing behind him holding his backpack.

"Come on Wheeler." Brian sighed, "I said I knocked you down here so we could duel with no witnesses, not so that you could faint!"

Joey nervously took his pack from the shadow, which flattened against the ground and ran to Brian's feet. Joey removed his disk, attaching it to his arm, and began to shuffle his deck.

_"I was afraid he might challenge me," _Joey thought, _"but this is a little extreme!"_

"Ya know, for someone who doesn't like scare tactics, you sure seem to use a lot of them." Joey pointed out.

"Like I said, I had little choice." Brian said.

Joey slid his deck into his disk and it beeped, signaling it was ready to start.

"Well then," Brian said with a slight tinge of evil to his voice as prepared his duel disk, "you ready to duel Wheeler?"

Joey stared at his new found opponent with a mixture of confusion and fear.

"Just what do you think you'll gain by doing this?" The blond teen asked as he shuffled his deck and put it in the proper slot.

"You'll find out soon enough." Brian explained.

Joey LP: 8000

Brian LP: 8000

"DUEL!" Both duelists shouted as they drew their opening hands.

"I'll go first since you challenged me." Joey explained, "And I'll lead with my Gearfried the Iron Knight in attack mode (1800/1600)!"

Joey smiled as a warrior clad in solid black amour appeared in front of him, the monster's attack and defense stats projected in the air above it.

Brian just yawned. "Glad to see I didn't scare you too badly. I summon a monster in face down defense position. That's all."

Joey snickered a bit as he drew his next card, "That's really all you got? Looks like you're the one who's scared! Now I'll bring in my Marauding Captain (1200/400) in attack mode and use his special ability to bring in Command Knight (1200/1900) to increase the attack of all my warriors by 400 points!"

A heroic looking young soldier with two swords and blond hair jumped to the field, and a young woman appeared next to him, wearing brown-and-red leather armor!

"Gearfried (2200/1600) go! Attack his face down monster now!" Joey ordered.

Gearfried leapt forward eagerly slicing through Brian's face down card only to reveal a strange metallic pot with one large green eye and an amazingly creepy smile.

"Not your best move Wheeler," Brian taunted, "That was my Cyber Jar so say goodbye to your monsters!"

A huge explosion rocked the battle field destroying every monster present!

Joey grumbled to himself as he drew the top five cards of his deck and placed them on the duel tray so Brian could see them.

Brian smiled as he looked at the cards on Joey's tray.

"Bad luck there, you only got a measly Battle Warrior (700/1000) to summon. I on the other hand got three monsters. Meet Vampire Lady (1550/1550), Pitch Black Warwolf (1600/800), and Mystic Tomato (1400/1100)!"

Immediately, a woman with pale gray skin and an alluring purple dress appeared on the field, followed by a savage looking werewolf with black fur and a large sword, and finally a slightly comical looking tomato with a large tongue sticking out of its mouth showed up.

"Aw, crud! My monster will go into defense mode and I'll lay one card face down. And since I end my turn here I discard two cards to keep my hand at the six card limit." Joey declared.

A blue skinned man in dark blue armor materialized in a crouching position, and a brown card appeared behind him.

Brian picked up his next card and began to laugh.

"Shame this is going to be over so quickly. I just drew the card I needed to assure my mission would be successful!"

"What are you talking about?" Joey asked

"Haven't you noticed anything about my monster's yet?" Brian queried.

Joey thought for a moment (something he rarely did) and suddenly came to a realization.

"All of them have been creatures of darkness so far." He stated.

"Exactly, and now I'm going to play the card which will ensure my victory." Brian shouted as he slammed a card bearing the image of a black circle surrounded by strange letters into the field zone on his duel disk.

"Now I play: ELEMENTAL SEAL OF DARKNESS!"

Immediately a black infinity symbol appeared on the ground between the two duelists, followed by the black circle and strange letters surrounding the field!

"What is this?" Joey exclaimed, trembling at the feeling of the encroaching shadows that began to swallow the field, and watching as infinity symbols appeared on Brian's arms and face.

As the duelist looked up at him, Joey was shocked to see Brian's eyes had become deep pools of shadows.

"This," Brian stated, "is the beginning of the end for you Wheeler!"

_Looks like Joey is in a bit of a bind! What does this seal do, and who is this master Brian referred to? If you want to find out, you'll need to wait for the next chapter titled:_

_Shadow's End_

_See you then!_

A/N: Here's an offer you can't refuse. You review, we post the next chapter, you get to find out what this seal does and what other surprises Brian's deck packs. So what are you waiting for? Read and Review!

A/N: Not a lot of actual dueling, we know. Don't worry, the next chapter will have a lot more!

A/N: In case your wondering why we reposted this chapter, I (Older Hokage) felt that Brian came across a little too two dimensional the first time. So I re-edited this chapter in hopes of fleshing him out a bit. Let us know what you think!


	3. Shadow's End

Disclaimer: We still don't own any of the characters or cards from the show, or real life. We still wish that we did.

Warning: This fic will (eventually) contain scenes of violence and some strong language. You have been warned

_Last time:_

_Joey and Serenity were enjoying a normal day at the zoo, and even met a new duelist name Brian who recognized Joey. While exploring the bat exhibit with their new companion though, Joey was shoved into the exhibit and had a nasty fall! While Serenity went to get help with another witness to the event, Brian went down after Joey._

_It turns out that Brian was responsible for Joey falling, and he seems to have some strange powers. He challenges Joey to a duel at the bottom of the exhibit, and takes field advantage early on. Now he's playing a strange spell called the Elemental Seal of Darkness! There could be more to this duelist than Joey realizes…_

Chapter 2 

**Shadow's End**

Brian began to laugh again as his monsters started to absorb the shadow energy surrounding the field.

"Time I explained my card's effects." Brian stated, "First, every creature of darkness that I control will gain 200 attack points!"

The creatures opposite from Joey started to change slightly. Vampire Lady's fangs started to drip with blood and her eyes turned into black pools as the same black tattoo as Brian's appeared on her body! The same thing was happening to the Warwolf and Mystic Tomato as the wolf warrior let out a ferocious howl, its fur becoming longer and wilder and the tomato's tongue became forked.

"The seal has other powers that I'll explain later, for now let's just keep the duel moving okay? I'll sacrifice the Mystic Tomato (1600/1100) to summon Mefist the Infernal General (2000/600)!" Brian declared.

A huge, armored man carrying an equally large axe, and riding on a black horse materialized on the field in place of the tomato!

"Mefist, attack his Battle Warrior (700/1000) now with Glaive of Destruction!" Brian ordered.

The armored man wasted no time charging forward and bringing its huge poleaxe down onto the head of the blue skinned fighter, which immediately burst into sparks!

Joey LP: 7000

Brian LP: 8000

Joey stumbled backward as he felt the shockwaves of the attack hit him and blow a card out of his hand and into the graveyard slot on his disk!

"Hey what gives?" He shouted.

"Like it Wheeler?" Brian laughed, "The powers of this field spell far surpass any of Kaiba Corps technology, because on this field the monsters and their attacks become real! Now as for your LP, Mefist can damage you, even if the monster he beats is in defense mode. Plus, whenever he does damage, one card is randomly sent from your hand to the graveyard. Oh, and thanks to him I have a clear shot at your life points! Vampire Lady (1750/1550)! Pitch Black Warwolf (1800/600)! Attack now!"

As the two monsters bore down on him, Joey quickly pressed a button on his duel disk to flip over his facedown card.

"Nice try, but I'll use my face down card…" Joey started.

"Don't bother!" Brian shouted, "With my Warwolf in play you can't use traps during the battle phase!"

"Who said this was a trap? I activate my Scapegoats card to protect myself from your monsters!" He announced.

Now four fluffy Scapegoat tokens (0/0) were on the field between Joey and the attacking monsters, which quickly ripped two of the little lambs apart.

Brian sighed.

"Why did you bother with those obnoxious tokens? On my next turn, Mefist will just tear through them and into your life points."

"That may be true, but these little guys just bought me the little bit of extra time that I'm going to need." Joey explained.

"_Not to mention, they'll keep these real monsters from doing some real damage to me!"_ Joey said to himself.

Brian just sighed again as he waved his hand, signaling the end of his turn.

Joey quickly drew his next card and smiled as he held it up.

"All right! Seal of Darkness, prepare to meet my Mystical Space Typhoon!"

A huge blast of wind began to spread across the field, completely surrounding both duelists. As the storm died down Joey found that the field was still surrounded by an impenetrable veil of shadows!

"Oh no! Don't tell me that this seal card is immune to my spells!" Joey shouted.

"Actually," Brian chuckled, "it's immune to spells, traps, monster effects, and for that matter everything! It can't be removed from the field unless I want to remove it!"

"Any particular reason you're being so intense right now?" Joey asked, "A minute ago you said you hate using to scare tactics and stuff like that and now your trying to intimidate me!"

Brian blinked in surprise.

"I don't know what it is," Brian said, "but whenever I play this seal I feel a strange intensity build up in me. Makes me feel a bit more confident."

Brian shrugged and looked around confines of the seal.

"That, and I'm probably a little overexcited taking on one of the top duelists in the world, so you'll excuse me if I seem a bit…intense." Brian apologized

"Yeah. I guess." Joey said.

Joey looked at his hand and held up another card.

"Time for a new hand. I play Card Destruction." He said.

Each duelist quickly discarded and prepared to draw a new set of cards. Just before Joey could, however, he saw a shadow move over his deck and slide a card into his graveyard!

"HEY!" Joey shouted at Brian, "I saw that!"

"Whatever do you mean?" Brian asked.

"I mean, you just used some freaky shadow power to get rid of a card in my deck!" Joey shouted at Brian, "And since you touched my deck without permission from me or a card, that means you automatically lose for cheating!"

Brian shook his head. "Let me set you straight Joey. I _never_ cheat. I did have permission to send those cards to your graveyard."

"From who?" Joey asked.

Brian's shadow suddenly separated from the ground again and stood up next to its master.

"From my seal of course." Brian explained, "You just played Card Destruction, and I had one monster in my hand. My seal lets me discard the top card from your deck for every monster I lose from my hand or deck because of one of your cards. So one monster, one card. I didn't want to be bothered coming over to you though, so I just sent my shadow in to take care of it."

The shadow nodded and flattened itself against the ground again.

"Now then, I believe we each need to draw a new set of cards." Brian stated.

"You could have just asked me to discard them." Joey grumbled as he drew his cards.

Upon seeing his hand though, he immediately began to smile.

"Let me see, I think I'll play the spell card Reasoning!" He announced.

Now, eight duel monster cards began to float around Joey.

"Here's what happens, first you pick a monster level, then I draw until I find a monster. If it's the level you picked then I discard it, but if it's a different level I summon it. Now choose." He ordered.

Brian thought for a minute, then nodded.

"Four!" He shouted.

"Okay then. Here I go!" Joey said as he began to draw.

Joey picked up his top card and grinned as he held it up, revealing one of the strongest creatures in his deck.

"Your turn to take some damage! My first card was the Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) which is a level seven monster! So I'll summon him, and I'll lay these two cards face down."

The shadows around Joey's feet began to swirl and a huge black dragon with piercing red eyes slowly rose out of the ground as the cards around the lucky duelist faded away.

"Now it's time for you to face one of my creatures of darkness!" Joey yelled, "I could destroy your Vampire, but I was always taught it ain't nice to hit a girl. And since your Warwolf's (1800/600) effect seems pretty dangerous, I'll take him out first!"

The giant dragon opened its mouth and released a huge blast of fire which quickly incinerated Brian's wolf and a chunk of his life points! Brian jumped back as the flames that weren't stopped by his monster licked at his body a little.

Joey LP: 7000

Brian LP: 7400

"My tu…" Brian started to say as he drew.

Suddenly a strange looking hose slid out of his graveyard and sucked a card from his hand, pulling it into his disk!

"What the hell was that!" Brian shouted.

Joey smiled. Next to him appeared the image of a card, with a picture of a huge vacuum cleaner sucking up a pile of cards.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that the card Mefist sent to the graveyard was a new spell called Hand Vacuum? It's new, and pretty conditional, but I'll explain it. See, its effect only works as long as it was sent right from my hand to my graveyard by one of your cards. As long as it's in my graveyard, you lose a random card from your hand each standby phase. It's a little trick I copied from Marik Ishtar in our Battle City duel only I'm relying a little more on your 'help' for it to work!" Joey explained

"_Oh yeah!" _He thought, _"It was a gamble putting that in my deck, but looks like it will pay off big time for me!"_

Joey's smile suddenly faded as a shadow suddenly moved over his deck, sliding out a card and putting it in his own graveyard.

Now Brian smiled.

"Did you forget about the other power of my seal so early Joey? Your card got rid of one of my monsters so you lose the top card of your deck. Oh and the card that went to my graveyard because of your little spell, was one that you're going to wish had stayed in my hand." Brian laughed.

Suddenly, a gravestone began to rise from the ground in front of Brian, and a large black and red shadow followed it. Soon the shadow loomed over Joey and his dragon.

Brian threw back his head in maniacal laughter.

"Ha Ha Ha Ha! Prepare yourself Joey! Now you face a true creature of darkness which far surpasses the power of your dragon! Behold my Despair from the Dark (3000/3000)!" The dark duelist laughed.

Joey just stared up at the huge dark beast, and gulped.

"_Aw crud. How am I supposed to beat that!"_

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Serenity stopped and leaned against a bench, pushing her hair out of her eyes as she tried to catch her breath.

"_I can't stop now!"_ She thought, _"I need to help Joey!"_

She looked over at the girl who had been with her since she left the bat exhibit.

Outside of the exhibit's gloom, she could now see this girl had brown hair, going almost to the back of her knees but held in a ponytail by a hair clip. She was wearing white shorts and a yellow t-shirt, along with white sneakers. She looked up at Serenity, with a look of concern on her face.

"Are you okay?" She asked, "If you keep running in this weather you're going to overheat."

"I'm fine…uhh…" Serenity started to respond. She then realized she didn't know this girl's name.

The girl reached up and removed her hair clip.

"My name is Celeste Hikari." She introduced herself, "Here take this. It will keep your hair out of your face and help you keep cool."

Serenity took the clip and looked at it. It was shaped like an oval, with a six winged angelic figure on it holding a green stone. The clip itself had a silver shine to hit.

"Thank you. I'm Serenity, by the way." Serenity said as she clipped her hair into a quick pony tail, "Now come on, Joey needs our help!"

The girls ran off again, but as they did the crystal in the hair clip began to shimmer with a dull light.

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Joey stared at the towering shadow beast before him as Brian flashed a devious smile at the blond duelist.

"You like it Wheeler? That monster is really quite handy. And I was able to summon him thanks to that card of yours!" Brian said.

Joey snapped out of his terrified state.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Brian pointed at his monster.

"This was the card Hand Vacuum sent to my graveyard. And when Despair from the Dark (3000/3000) goes directly from my hand to the graveyard because of one of your cards; I can immediately special summon it to the field. Now he'll take care of that dragon of yours! Despair from the Dark attack his Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) with Shadow Claw Assault!"

The giant shadow raised its hand and prepared to bring it down on Joey's monster when suddenly a small winged creature in a black mask appeared on the field holding a red die that was as big as it was. Joey smiled.

"That's twice you forgot about my facedown cards!" He yelled, "This one's called Skull Dice and whatever he rolls on that die; we multiply it by 100 and subtract it from your monsters' attack!"

Now the red die was thrown to the ground where it bounced for a second before settling on a six.

Brian just shook his head as his monsters all shrank a little.

"So it will be a draw." He stated, "No problem for me."

Joey smiled. "Don't forget about my other face down card. Activate Metalmorph! It raises my Red Eyes' attack and defense by 300 points!"

The Red Eyes Black Dragon was quickly covered in a metallic black sheen and it let out a frightening roar!

"Red Eyes (2700/2300) counter attack and destroy that Despair from the Dark (2400/3000)!" Joey ordered.

The metallic dragon blasted Brian's monster with a flash of red energy and the shadow quickly vanished along with its gravestone.

Joey LP: 7000

Brian LP: 7100

Brian winced as his monster was destroyed.

"_Shoot!" _He thought, _"I've got nothing! I'll have to bluff…"_

"I'll switch both of my remaining monsters to defense mode and lay this card face down. That's it." Brian declared

Vampire Lady knelt, and Mefist turned his steed so its side faced Joey.

Joey nodded and drew a new card.

"Now things are in my favor again." He said, "And I plan to keep them that way with this: My Big Bang Shot spell card! This will increase the attack of my dragon by 400 and let it damage through defense like Mefist. Speaking of which Red Eyes (4100/2300) attack and destroy Mefist (2000/600) now!"

"_Crud! He didn't fall for it!"_ Brian thought frantically.

Red Eyes charge up an attack, and at the same time Brian noticed the monster's attack points floating in the air next to it.

"Hang on!" Brian shouted, "What happened to your dragon's attack? It's way too high!"

Joey just smirked. "I should have warned ya. Metalmorph adds one-half of the target monster's attack points to my dragon's attack points for the duration of the battle!"

Brian let out a shout as his monster was consumed by a huge fire ball which burned through to his life points, and was turned away from his body at the last minute by a barrier of darkness from his crystal.

Joey LP: 7000

Brian LP: 3600

"Your turn." Joey grinned but the smile quickly faded as he got a clear look at his foe.

The crystal in Brian's necklace was glowing with a deep purple light and the dark duelist had a look of pure rage on his face.

"_Okay…Freaky."_ Joey thought.

"You are going to pay for that Wheeler!" Brian roared as he drew a new card and glared at the vacuum tube which quickly snatched away another card to the grave.

Joey watched as the top card of his deck was flung to the graveyard as well and then looked up to see Brian laughing again.

"_Weesh! If this is his idea of being a little intense, I'd hate to see what it looks like if he all out loses it!"_ Joey said to himself.

"What's so funny?" Joey asked.

Brian smiled and placed a strange looking creature with thousands of hands placed all over its body on to the field.

"This." Brian explained, "My Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands (1600/1000)! He lets me move a ritual spell or monster from my deck to my hand."

Joey stared as Manju was covered in the same black tattoo as the others.

"Wait a minute," Joey shouted, "isn't Manju a creature of light?"

Brian shook his head as he pulled a card out of his deck.

"Not anymore. When I play a monster my seal immediately turns it into a creature of darkness no matter what element it is. But that doesn't really matter because I just needed its special ability to bring this ritual monster to my hand. Now that I have, I'll activate my face down bluff card: Contract with the Dark Master!"

As Brian's card flipped over a figure wrapped in cloth appeared and plunged its clawed hand through Manju and the Vampire Lady, both of which immediately faded away as the figure grew into a huge demon with green spiky hair, bronze skin with the same black markings as Brian, and a horrifying purple face!

Brian pointed at his monster. "Behold Joseph, the ultimate ruler of the dark realms. DARK MASTER---ZORC (2900/1500)! All I had to do was sacrifice monsters whose star level equaled eight or more. Now I can use his special power which I like to call: the roll of life or death!"

Zorc held out one hand and a large, black die appeared. The dark creature tossed the die to the ground with a huge blast of smoke. As the smoke cleared it could be seen that the result was a one.

Brian began to laugh once more. "A one! That's perfect now every monster you control will be destroyed! HA HA HA HA HA!"

A huge blast of dark energy surrounded Joey's side of the field and when it cleared the scapegoats and dragon were gone!

"NO!" Joey shouted as Zorc charged at him and swung a huge fist into his stomach for a direct attack.

Joey LP: 4100

Brian LP 3600

Joey gasped for breath as he drew his next card.

"I set one monster in defense mode. And that's all."

Brian smiled as he quickly went through the draw-discard-discard cycle again and looked at his prize monster. Zorc nodded and tossed the die again, this time the result was a five.

"A five means that I destroy one of your monsters." Brian explained as Joey's face down monster burst apart, revealing his Alligator Sword for a brief second, "Zorc attack him directly again with Symphony of Shadows!"

Joey braced himself as Zorc summoned up a huge sphere of darkness and fired it right into his rib cage.

Brian focused his gaze on his opponent. "Now you see that no one can defeat me!"

Joey LP: 1900

Brian LP: 3600

Joey winced with pain as he drew and looked at his cards his eye settling on one in particular. He groaned as he lay a monster face down and a card in his magic/trap zone, then waved to end his turn.

"What's the matter Joey?" Brian taunted, "You too badly hurt to talk? Don't worry this will all be over soon."

Joey looked up at Brian and managed to wheeze out, "Why? Why are you doing this?"

Brian's eyes narrowed. "Why am I doing this you ask? I'm doing it to remake this world! When this duel is over the loser, and by that I mean you, will lose something of great value."

Joey seemed shocked. "You mean my soul!"

Now Brian looked shocked! "No! My master is a bit more original and much less barbaric. What you'll lose is your dueling talent. Every strategy and combo you've ever thought up will be gone and you'll be worse than when you started playing duel monsters! Then we'll be one step closer to our goal! But enough talk, time for Zorc to roll those dice!"

The dark master tossed the die, this time with a two as the result.

"Two does the same as one!" Brian said with a smile, when suddenly the die burst apart and reappeared in Zorc's hand!

"Hey what the…" Brian exclaimed.

"Surprised?' Joey asked as he pointed to his newly revealed trap card, "This trap is called Dice Reroll and it forces us to redo the last dice roll that happened, so roll those dice again!"

Zorc tossed the die again, this time the die came up six.

A horrified look spread across Brian's face. "Shoot. When the result is a six, Zorc self destructs!"

A huge dark vortex surrounded Brian's half of the field now and Zorc vanished into it.

Brian quickly held up a new card from his hand.

"I activate Fulfillment of Contract! For 800 LP I can bring a ritual monster, like Zorc, back at full strength. Zorc attack the face down monster!" He declared as a little blood dripped from his nose and the dark master rematerialized.

The newly reborn monster lunged forward and tore Joey's face down card apart, revealing it to be a small warrior in brown armor, the Swordsman of Lanstar (500/1500).

Joey LP: 1900

Brian LP: 2800

Joey desperately drew his next card.

"Come on heart of the cards, don't fail me now!" He prayed.

Joey looked at his new card and a pained smile crept across his features.

"Time I ended this duel! I'll beat your darkness with a creature of light. Namely, Freed the Brave Wanderer (1700/1500)!" Joey shouted.

A heroic blond soldier in silver armor appeared in front of Joey.

"And now I'll activate his special ability by removing two creatures of light in my graveyard from play!" Joey continued.

"What creatures of light!" Brian shouted, "I never destroyed any!"

"Oh yeah?" Joey challenged, "What about the cards I discarded when I used Card Destruction? Or all the cards I never got to draw because of your seal's effect? Or even the two I dropped at the end of my second turn? I have plenty of light monsters in my graveyard and I'll remove Gearfried the Swordmaster and Blade Knight to activate Freed's special ability."

The soldier now pointed his sword at Zorc who began to tremble as Freed started to glow with a piercing light. Freed lunged forward, slicing though Zorc and sending the monster straight back to the graveyard!

Joey grinned at the shocked look on Brian's face.

"Freed lets me instantly destroy one monster that's stronger than he is when I remove two creatures of light from my graveyard. Now I'll equip Freed with Megamorph to double his attack points since I have the fewest LP."

Brian held up one arm as Freed (3400/1500) put a strange amulet around his neck and began to glow brighter. The light increased in intensity, sending the bats around the arena into frenzy!

"No! Not the light! ARGH!" Brian screamed.

As the light faded, Brian lowered his arm and was shocked to see that Freed had transformed into a being of pure light!

Joey pointed straight toward Brian.

"Now Freed, attack with Heroic Slice!" He ordered.

Brian just stared helplessly as the being of light swung at him. At the last minute, his crystal flared, and a wall of shadows stopped the sword in mid-swing. But through the cave, the sound of a life point counter ticking down could be heard.

"But…you're not supposed to be this good." Brian said simply as the shadows began to swirl behind him.

Joey LP: 1900

Brian LP: 0

Brian fell to his knees, shooting an angry look at Joey as a vortex of shadows began to surround him.

"Looks like I win." Joey said with a smirk, "And thanks to your own spell, now you'll lose your talent!"

"That's what you think Wheeler!" Brian shouted.

The teen raised one arm over his head, and the shadows swirled around it. Suddenly, they shot out in every direction, destroying the circle on the ground around them!

Brian got to his feet, an evil grin on his face as Joey gaped at him

"You could have destroyed that seal anytime you wanted couldn't you?" Joey exclaimed.

"Yep." Brian said, "The only reason I didn't was 'cause I expected to win!"

Brian's shadow jumped of the ground and moved toward Joey, when a sphere of yellow light appeared in front of Brian!

"_Enough melodrama, you need to get going!"_ A voice yelled in Brian's head, _"You have an appointment to keep, remember?"_

Brian nodded, and his shadow fell back to the ground, turning into a pool around his feet.

"I'll have to get even with you later Joey." Brian said, "See ya!"

And with that, Brian vanished into the pool of darkness!

As Joey stood there, dumbstruck, a voice suddenly called out from across the cave.

"Hey, kid! Are you okay?"

Joey turned around and saw a zookeeper walking toward him.

"I'm fine." Joey said, "Let's get out of here."

Back out in the daylight, Joey was blinking trying to recover from the sudden shift in lighting, when his sister almost knocked him to the ground!

"Oh Joey! I was so worried you might be hurt!" Serenity sobbed.

Joey patted his sister on the back.

"Don't worry sis, I'm fine." He assured her (failing to notice her new accessory), "What do you say we go home. I think we've both had enough excitement for one day."

Serenity nodded, and the two started toward the exit.

"Oh, by the way, can my friend and I hang at your house until mom picks me up?" Serenity asked.

"Sure!" Joey agreed, "Who's the friend?"

Serenity smiled.

"The other girl who was in the bat exhibit with us. She helped me find a zoo keeper after Brian went in to find you. She's really nice, and I figured inviting her over for lunch was the least I could do to thank her for helping me." She explained.

Then Serenity frowned, "Hey, where didBrian get to?" She asked.

"Long story." Joey muttered, "Let's find your friend and get to my house, I need to call Yugi."

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In the meantime, downtown, a shadow rose out of the ground in the shade of the Kaiba Corporation building.

Brian stepped out of the shadow, his crystal's glow extinguished, and immediately became aware of the sound of approaching sirens.

"_He didn't…" _Brian thought.

Looking up, Brian could see smoke pouring out of one of the windows on the top floor!

"_He did," _Brian realized, _"and man is he gonna get it if he failed!"_

_What could Brian be so worried about? And what is happening at Kaiba Corp? If you want to find out, you'll have to check out next chapter:_

_12:00_

_See you then!_

Original Cards:

Elemental Seal of Darkness

Spell Card

Field

Image of a large black circle with an infinity symbol in the center and several strange letters around the outside.

This card cannot be removed from the field. As long as this card remains on the field, increase the attack of all DARK monsters by 200 points. The controller of this card may treat all monsters on his/her side of the field as DARK monsters. If a monster is sent from your hand or deck to the graveyard by the effects of a card controlled by your opponent, discard the top card of your opponent's deck

Hand Vacuum

Spell Card

Image of a large vacuum cleaner sucking up several duel monster cards.

This card's effect will only work if it goes directly from your hand to the graveyard by an opponent's card effect. During each of your opponent's standby phases they must randomly discard one card from their hand. This effect lasts as long as this card remains in your graveyard.

A/N: The above cards were created by us. If you want to use them, you'll have to e-mail us. Please read and review if you want to see more!

A/N: We reposted this chapter for the same reason we reposted "A Midsummer Nightmare." See the A/N at the end of that for further details.


	4. 12:00

Disclaimer: We still don't own any of the characters or cards from the show, or real life. We still wish that we did.

Warning: This fic will (eventually) contain scenes of violence and some strong language. You have been warned

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far!

_Last time: Brian and Joey's duel ended, with Joey as the victor and Brian escaping the fate the loser had been promised. As Joey and Serenity go home with a new friend however, Brian seems to have just gotten started! He arrives outside of Kaiba Corp. to find the place seems to be on fire, and he seems to know who's behind it…_

**Chapter 3**

**12:00**

Brian stared up at the smoking window of Kaiba Corp. and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Of all the times to pull this…" He started to mutter as he checked his watch.

It read 12:45 p.m.

Looking up, Brian saw a figure dive out the window! Thinking fast, he lifted one arm and caught the falling figure in a blanket of shadows. The dark safety net quickly swooped down, pulling Brian and his catch away from the scene.

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45 minutes earlier…

It was hot outside, but no one in the Kaiba Corporation felt it. Their building was air conditioned to the point that some employees joked and called it the world's largest refrigerator.

The secretary in the front office was bored and went from filing papers to filing her nails.

It was about twelve o'clock when a teenager entered the building.

He was skinny, with spiky red hair and blue eyes. He wore black kaki pants, a red t-shirt, and silver manacle with a beautiful red gem in it around his left wrist.

The youth went right up to the secretary and smiled.

"Hi," he greeted her, "I'm here to see Mr. Kaiba. I'm his twelve o'clock meeting."

She looked up at him then checked the schedule.

"You're Mr. Hokage? Timothy Hokage?" She asked.

"Last time I checked." He said.

"I'm sorry," she told him, "Mr. Kaiba is a very busy man and doesn't have time to talk with kids."

Tim seemed very insulted by this remark.

He stayed somewhat calm however.

"You are aware your employer isn't much older than I am aren't you? My name is on that list, I have an appointment, let me talk to Mr. Kaiba." Tim asked

The secretary now just wanted to see the young man loose his temper.

"No way." She said with a smirk, "Now leave or I'll call security."

The building suddenly became very warm. The employees running about began to ask if the air conditioner was working and started opening windows.

"Pity," said Tim, "I didn't really want to do this by force but you have left me with little choice."

Just then he extended his arm and fire shot from it!

A pile of flaming rubble now was all that remained of the secretary's desk. The secretary herself ran outside, screaming for help.

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Up in his office Seto Kaiba, the brown-haired business man and owner of Kaiba Corp, was busy finishing his lunch as he typed some plans into his computer.

"_Here we go."_ Kaiba thought, actually smiling a little as he admired his handy work on the screen, _"The plans for the new Kaiba Land attractions are just about complete."_

Seto quickly saved his progress as he looked over the screen.

Nearly a whole year without dueling in any major tournaments (or throwing any) had managed to help the young CEO stay on top of his company. After the whole "Dartz scare" and the incident at his Grand Championship Tournament, Kaiba had been more than happy to get back to running his company and leave the dueling to Yugi and his friends.

That's not to say he didn't want to beat Yugi any more, but he had managed to become less obsessed about it.

As he started adjusting the plans on his computer for some finishing touches (and straightened out his deep purple business suit) though, a voice crackled from the speaker on his desk.

"Mister Kaiba!" The voice shouted, "We have a situation!"

Kaiba frowned as he pressed the button on the device.

"What kind of 'situation?'" He asked.

"There's someone here to see you, and he won't leave! And he's throwing _fire_ everywhere!" The guard shouted.

Kaiba winced as he heard the guard scream and a hiss of static filled the room.

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The guard stepped back, staring at what had once been a speaker box, and what was now a smoldering puddle of plastic and circuits.

Tim smiled as he held up another fireball.

The guard screamed again and ran for his life out the front door, followed by multiple employees!

Tim turned his attention toward the elevator. He pushed a button to bring it down to the first floor.

When it stopped he realized it was empty, slowly he extended both hands and fired a destructive sphere of flame directly into it!

Outside, a plume of fire could be seen rocketing out from the top of the building where the elevator went to the roof.

Tim smiled and turned to the panicked employees.

"In case of fire, please take stairs. In case of me, run for your life." He advised.

With that, he dashed into a nearby doorway marked "STAIRS."

The fire starter began to run upstairs, leaving a trail of melted stairs behind him. Security began to pour onto the stairwell, armed with pepper spray and rubber bullets, but every guard that got in Tim's way was quickly dealt with: he melted the stairs they were standing on and jumped the gap!

While running, he sang a familiar song to taunt the guards.

"Burrrrn baby, burn! Disco Inferno! Burrrrn baby, burn!"

When he finally reached the top floor, a group of five guards was waiting for him.

Tim just smiled and held out his hands toward them.

The guards quickly found themselves running down the hall, trying to escape a gigantic fire ball!

They ran through a door at the end of the hall labeled, "Storage" and shut it behind them. It provided good protection from the moving inferno, but it melted the door completely shut!

Tim went to the other side of the hall, to a door labeled, "CEO Kaiba." The young man blew the wooden barrier clean off its hinges with one great blast of flame from his hand!

"Mr. Kaiba, your twelve o'clock has arrived." Tim announced.

Seto stood and walked in front of his desk a familiar look glinting in his cold blue eyes, one that had foreshadowed the imminent doom of many opponents.

"Why did you just turn my building into a bon fire!" Seto asked, his hand clenched into a fist ready to smash his 'appointment.'

"Calm down Mr. Kaiba, I just wanted to challenge you to a game of Duel Monsters." Tim laughed.

The look in Kaiba's eyes grew darker as he stepped back behind his desk and unlocked it.

"You threaten my employees and do severe damage to my building just for a duel!" He yelled as he pulled out his duel disk and slid in his deck.

Tim just smiled and a blast of fire wrapped around his arm! It cleared away, leaving a regular duel disk, and Tim pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket and placed it in the proper tray.

Kaiba glared menacingly at the red haired teen standing across the room from him.

"Just what do you think gives you the right to plow your way up here and challenge me?" The CEO asked as his duel disk beeped, signaling it was ready to begin.

Kaiba LP: 8000

Tim LP: 8000

"Come on Kaiba, don't be like that," Tim answered with a fiendish grin, "I just want to play a little game, that's all."

Kaiba laughed.

"Well I hope you enjoy this game because with all the community service that the cops will have you do, you won't get to play any more for a very long time. Now I'll open with my Spear Dragon (1900/0) and lay one card face down. Let's see what you've got." Kaiba challenged.

A blue dragon with a long, spear like nose materialized in front of Seto, followed by a facedown card.

Tim chuckled a bit.

"If that's all you got Kaiba, you're in for a thrashing. I'll play Blazing Inpachi (1850/0) and place two cards face down. End of turn." Tim declared.

Now a huge, flaming, wooden robot stood across the room from Kaiba's dragon with two unidentifiable cards behind it.

The millionaire burst into laughter!

"You thought my move was pathetic, this duel won't last more than three turns at this rate! Go my mighty Spear Dragon, destroy that pathetic pile of kindling!" Kaiba ordered.

The dragon leapt into the air and prepared to fire its signature weapon, a devastating tornado, at its target!

"You've activated my trap mister Kaiba." Tim stated as he flipped over one of his face down cards, "The Mask of Weakness will decrease the attack of your monster by 700 points! Blazing Inpachi, counter attack and destroy his Spear Dragon (1200/0) now!"

In one smooth motion, a hideous mask attached to Kaiba's Dragon and the Blazing Inpachi pulled back a wooden fist to clobber it!

"Not bad but I can top that, behold the Dragon's Bead!" Kaiba declared as his facedown card turned over and he slid a card into his graveyard, "It negates any trap that targets one of my dragons at the cost of one card from my hand."

A bright green glow issued from Spear Dragon's forehead as the mask shattered as its attack returned to normal (1900/0)! The dragon swooped underneath the blazing giant's fist and sliced through it with its mighty beak! Now seemingly exhausted by its efforts, Spear Dragon landed in front of Kaiba and drew its wings up around its body.

"My monster is now forced into defense position but next turn it'll be ready to attack again! Now let's see if your second move is as pathetic as your first." Kaiba scoffed.

Kaiba LP: 8000

Tim LP: 7950

Tim casually wiped a little sweat from his brow and drew his next card.

"Whew! Is it hot in here or is it just me?" Tim joked, "I'll play Flame Ruler (1500/1600) and equip it with a Fairy Meteor Crush, allowing it to damage you even if your monster is in defense mode! Sorry Kaiba, but your tactics are outdated. Flame Ruler, destroy that dragon with Flame Ruling Fist!"

A young man with spiky blue hair and wearing a red vest jumped forward and slammed a burning hot fist right into the dragon which burst into pixels, along with a fair chunk of Kaiba's LP as a blast of virtual fire shot past the dragon!

Kaiba LP: 6500

Tim LP: 7950

"Move if you want Kaiba, it's your turn." Tim challenged.

Kaiba just started glaring at the duelist again.

"_This guy shows up out of nowhere, challenges me to a duel, and dares to call my moves out dated! Who does he think he's dealing with! And more importantly, who is he?" _Kaiba wondered.

To Be Continued…

_Kaiba has no idea what he's up against, this duel is just heating up! Next time, you'll find out just who it was Brian caught (if you didn't already guess) and see how this duel ends! Stay tuned for the next chapter titled:_

_Stirring the Ashes_

_Read and Review!_

A/N: It's a little short, I know. Really sorry about that but it's tough dividing up the duels so they fit the way we need them! One of those "it looked better on paper" scenarios. Next one will be longer, don't worry.


	5. Stirring the Ashes

Disclaimer: We only own our original cards and characters. Yugi, Seto, and the others aren't ours.

A/N: We recently celebrated Younger Hokage's 18th birthday! Just so you know, reviews make great belated birthday gifts.

_Previously:_

_An average day at Kaiba Corp. turns into anything but when a young man shows up and starts tossing fireballs all around the office building! He claims his name is Tim Hokage, and manages to get a meeting and duel with the CEO: Seto Kaiba himself. _

_For some reason, Tim went through an awful lot of trouble to get a duel. And now he's taken the lead in this one against one of the greats!_

**Chapter 4**

**Stirring the Ashes**

As Seto and Tim continued their duel, neither of them realized that someone else had been drawn to the ruckus Tim had caused.

Making his way up a second set of emergency stairs was a boy, possibly in his early teens with long black hair down past his shoulders, wearing a blue t-shirt, jeans, and a brown vest. The boy came to a stop as he looked back and saw three guards struggling with their gear behind him.

"Come on, hurry up!" The boy yelled, "Seto is in trouble remember? What is he paying you guys for!"

"Coming Mr. Mokuba!" One of the guards said as he lugged a fire extinguisher over his shoulder.

Looking up the stairs, Mokuba Kaiba winced as he heard the screech of a monster being destroyed.

"_Hang in there Seto."_ He prayed, just as he had been since the guards warned him about the attack.

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Kaiba drew his next card and the frustrated look on his face gave way to a devilish smirk.

"I hope you realize that you never stood a chance against me, and if you didn't then this should serve as a harsh reminder. I summon my Kaiser Sea Horse (1700/1500)!"

A blue skinned warrior carrying a long spear appeared on the field.

"Now Kaiser attack that Flame Ruler (1500/1600) with your trident thrust!"

Kaiba's deep blue sea warrior lunged forward to destroy Tim's monster, but the fire duelist just shook his head.

"Tsk Tsk Mr. Kaiba, you're much too hasty. I'll use my Sakuretsu Armor to destroy your Sea Horse."

Flame Ruler was suddenly encased in black stone armor and swung its rock covered fist into the stomach of Kaiba's monster. Kaiba winced as his creature burst apart, leaving him defenseless once again.

Tim just laughed.

"You know I almost forgot I had that, and I was thinking what an idiot I was for not using it." He said, "But as soon as I drew my Fairy Meteor Crush card I realized it wasn't that big a deal after all!"

Kaiba sighed, "I'll lay two cards face down. That's all for my turn."

Tim drew and looked at the three cards in his hand.

"Good news Mr. Kaiba, I won't be taking much more of your time. I'm going to make sure that you don't have the chance to overpower me again by playing this: THE ELEMENTAL SEAL OF FIRE!"

Now the ground between the two foes began to smoke as a bright red picture of a fire appeared in the center of the floor.

Suddenly the door to the room burst open revealing Mokuba with the three armed guards carrying fire extinguishers behind him, who got a two second glance of the scene in front of them before a circle of fire extended from the floor to the ceiling all around the duel!

"Seto!" Mokuba shouted.

He quickly turned to the guards.

"Don't just stand there you morons! One of you call the fire department!"

"Yes sir!" the guards chorused.

"We're gonna need more fire extinguishers." One of the guards muttered as he ran out the door.

Mokuba and the remaining guards shot at the wall of flame with the carbon dioxide foam from their tools, but managed no progress at all.

Mokuba glared at the flames.

"I'm gonna find more extinguishers, you two wait here and grab that kid if he comes out!" Mokuba ordered

"Yes sir!" The two remaining guards responded

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Within the circle Tim smiled as he heard the guards obey.

"Taking orders from a kid. Boy have they hit a new low." He mused.

Tim laughed as a red tattoo that looked like fire appeared on his arms and face and his eyes began to burn with bright red flames.

"Now then let me explain the effects of my card. One, every creature of fire on my side of the field gains 200 attack points. Two, every monster that I control becomes a creature of fire. Three, it can only be destroyed if I allow it to be. Four, as I'll show you now," Tim stated as he put a card from his hand into the graveyard, "I can discard a monster from my hand and half of its attack points will be deducted from your life points. And I just discarded Fire Yarou (1300/1200)!"

Kaiba let out a scream of pain as a column of flame suddenly burst up around his left hand, leaving a few blisters on the back of it!

Kaiba LP: 5850

Tim LP: 7950

Tim just smiled at his opponent.

"Oh yeah. Five, the monsters and their attacks become real. I'll finish my turn by playing my last card face down and attacking with my Flame Ruler (1700/1600)."

The Flame Ruler had changed its hair now blond with red streaks and the normal tattoos on its body had been replaced by copies of the ones on its master. It lunged toward Kaiba with a fist full of flame, but suddenly a _second _Flame Ruler appeared in front of Kaiba and both monsters were destroyed in a burst of heat!

"Hey, what gives!" Tim shouted, a frustrated look replacing the amused one.

Kaiba just smiled again.

"You didn't honestly think that I'd let you damage me twice with the same monster did you? That's why I used my Physical Double Trap card to make a copy of your Flame Ruler, with all of the same powers and stats as the one you had. It intercepted your attack and so both monsters were destroyed. Now if you don't mind I believe that it's my turn."

"Bring it if you got it Mr. CEO," Tim challenged, "but from now on I won't be going easy on you!"

Kaiba drew his next card and looked over his hand. "I think it's time for me to replenish my hand a little. I activate Graceful Charity."

Kaiba swiftly picked up the top three cards of his deck and sent two to his graveyard. Kaiba smiled as he flipped over his face down card.

"Time for me to bring in an old favorite of mine. I activate Call of the Haunted and bring forth my Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500) which I sent to the grave with Graceful Charity!" He announced

There was a burst of light, causing Tim to cover his eyes for a second, and as it faded away a new monster appeared and what a monster it was!

The giant dragon roared in triumph, it's awesome power seemingly warping the air around its shimmering silver scales!

"Now my mighty monster, attack this fool's LP directly with white lightning!" Kaiba ordered.

The huge silvery dragon let out a roar and released a huge burst of energy from its mouth.

Tim shook his head as his final face down card turned over and a blast of wind fired at Kaiba's Call of the Haunted, destroying it and the Blue Eyes.

Kaiba mentally slapped himself.

"_Of course this punk would have a Dust Tornado! I can't believe I fell for that! Oh well, I'll get him next time"_ He thought.

Kaiba placed his last two cards into his disk.

"I set one monster in defense mode and one card face down. Now it's your turn, and I recommend you use it wisely."

"I will Mr. Kaiba." Tim stated as he drew his next card, "I'll play Pot of Greed."

The fire duelist declared, picking up his top two cards.

Tim smirked as a little bit of blood dripped from his nose.

"You're in trouble. I'll play Premature Burial to bring back my Flame Ruler (1700/1600) at the cost of 800 LP."

Kaiba LP: 5850

Tim LP: 7150

The Flame Ruler burst forth from the floor, shaking clumps of expensive carpeting out of his hair.

Kaiba glared at the monster. "Any particular reason you brought back such a useless monster?" He growled.

"Actually, yes." Tim scoffed. "Now I'll summon my Hand of Nepthys (800/600) and use its special ability."

A woman in a golden bird mask and fiery red robes materialized on the field. Suddenly the woman and Flame Ruler were surrounded by a strange golden fire.

"What's going on?" Kaiba exclaimed.

Tim smiled and pulled a card out of his deck.

"My Hand of Nepthys lets me sacrifice her and one other creature to call forth my ultimate monster."

A glorious song filled the air as a huge, golden bird slowly descended to the field.

"Behold: the Sacred Phoenix of Nepthys (2600/1800)!" Tim shouted, his monster spreading its wings and letting out a mighty screech.

"Now my phoenix! Decimate his pathetic defenses with Sacred Wing Beat!"

The great beast launched a huge blast of flame toward Kaiba's monster, but was suddenly met with a glass shattering explosion. As the smoke cleared, no monsters were visible on the field.

"Let me guess: that was a Cyber Jar." Tim said.

Kaiba nodded with a smirk on his face.

"Not like it matters." Tim continued, "You're still toast."

Kaiba held up one finger,

"That depends on whether you draw any monsters to summon." He said, "I myself seem to have come across my Lord of D. (1200/800), La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp (1800/1000), and Kaibaman (200/300) and I'm placing them all in attack mode!"

In front of Kaiba appeared the three monsters. The first was a man wearing long brown robes and a dragon skull, the second a green skinned man whose legs disappeared into a giant golden lamp, and the last was the spitting image of the young CEO, except for the white and blue superhero getup he was wearing.

"Tough luck Kaiba." Tim retorted, "I got my Solar Flare Dragon (1700/1000) and a second Flame Ruler (1700/1600). Now my Flame Ruler will destroy the Lord of D. and my Solar Flare Dragon will attack Kaibaman!"

The two fiery monsters, a large flaming serpent and another man in a red vest, shot toward their targets, when a huge gravestone shot out of the ground and stopped them!

Kaiba laughed wickedly.

"I'm sorry; I should have told you: My facedown card was Negate Attack! So now I stopped your attack, and ended your battle phase. Tough luck"

Tim just shook his head.

"Hmph. That won't protect you forever. Besides, the Solar Flare Dragon deals 500 LP of damage at the end of my turn. So I'll lay a card facedown and end my turn now."

The serpentine fire dragon released a small fireball, which Kaiba intercepted with his free hand.

Kaiba LP: 5350

Tim LP: 7150

"I hope that you're ready to lose punk, because I've had enough of you and your stupid tricks!" Kaiba shouted as he drew his next card. "It's time to use my Card of Demise!"

Kaiba swept the top five cards of his deck into his hand and glanced over them.

"A pity." He sighed, "I didn't think it would be this easy. First I activate the Flute of Summoning Dragon."

The robed sorcerer held up a golden instrument and played a single clear note. Immediately a new Blue Eyes (3000/2500) appeared on the field, along with a second dragon which seemed to be constructed from diamonds.

"Meet my second Blue Eyes White Dragon and Hyozanryu (2100/2700)!" Kaiba shouted, "And before I attack I activate the power of Kaibaman to summon my final Blue Eyes White Dragon by sacrificing him."

Kaibaman held up a strange looking device and pressed a button on it. A flash of light filled the area and as it cleared, Kaiba's final dragon emerged. Kaiba began his trademark evil laughter.

"And now it's time to say 'goodbye.' Only for you it won't be so good. La Jinn and Hyozanryu will destroy your pathetic creatures and then both of my Blue Eyes and my Lord of Dragons will attack you directly and end this!"

"Oh cra…" That was as far as Tim got before a huge explosion of energy filled his side of the field.

Kaiba LP: 5350

Tim LP: 450

"And that's that." Kaiba said as turned around.

Then he noticed that the Seal of Fire was still there!

"_What the…"_ Kaiba thought, _"No! He must have saved himself somehow!"_

Kaiba turned back to the opposite side of the field and, seeing no movement, became concerned.

"Not that I care, but are you okay in there?" He asked.

The dust cleared away and showed Tim, an evil grin plastered to his face and the air around him warping as if it was near a heater and the crystal in his arm band shining with a bright red light. On his duel disk shone the figures **LP 450**

"I'm just fine Mr. Kaiba. But I guarantee you won't be. I have to ask: is this the end of your turn?" Tim said.

Kaiba gave his foe a strange look. "Yes…now how did you save yourself and why are you acting weirder than you already were?"

"Because I know something you don't know." Tim taunted, "My facedown card was Enchanted Javelin, which added the attack of your Lord of Dragons to my LP, pretty much negating his attack."

As he drew his next card and a column of gold flame blasted up in front of him.

"Oh," He continued, "And I know a little something about a monster you blasted earlier!"

Kaiba stared as the Dragon's Bead melted away.

"What happened?" He shouted.

As the fire cleared, the Sacred Phoenix (2600/1800) could be seen raising its wings and letting out a triumphant song.

"My phoenix has a special ability." The fire duelist explained, "If it's destroyed by a trap, spell, or monster effect it just bounces back like a flaming super ball and destroys every spell and trap on the field, except of course for my Seal of Fire! Now I lay three cards face down"

The three cards materialized in front of Tim, and Kaiba stared up at the phoenix.

Tim pointed at Kaiba's genie. "Phoenix! I think rich boy has had enough wishes granted! Destroy La Jinn!"

The winged beast unleashed a golden fireball which wiped out the genie and engulfed Seto in a blast of heat!

Kaiba LP: 5350

Tim LP: 450

"This is the beginning of the end Kaiba. Oh, and it's your turn."

Kaiba drew his card and one of Tim's flipped over.

"Now I activate Secret Barrel!" Tim declared very quickly.

Kaiba barely had time to brace himself as a squadron of mini-cannons blasted away 200 LP for each card in his hand and on the field, along with adding a few holes to his clothes and a series of bruises where the weak shots hit him.

Kaiba LP: 3550

Tim LP: 450

Kaiba glare at his foe, and pointed at the phoenix.

"I'll bet that your monster can't come back if I destroy it in battle, so it's time for my Blue Eyes to wipe it out!" Kaiba's mighty dragon unleashed a humongous blast of electricity toward the winged beast.

Tim smiled as his second face down card flipped revealing a Mirror Force.

"Kwaping." Tim said with a smirk, imitating the sound of Kaiba's attack redirecting and all of his monsters being annihilated.

Kaiba gritted his teeth in anger as he held up another card and some of the blisters on the back of his hand ruptured.

"I'm not done yet! Activate Premature Burial to return one of the Blue Eyes at the cost of 800 LP."

The dragon blasted out of the ground and let out a threatening roar at Tim.

Kaiba LP: 2750

Tim LP: 450

"That's all I can do." Kaiba declared.

Tim drew another card.

"I activate the Card of Sanctity!" Tim declared, drawing six new cards and smiling.

"I'm going to enjoy watching you burn, Kaiba. I'll activate my face down Call of the Haunted to bring back my Blazing Inpachi (2050/0)."

A purple mist gathered on the field and came together to form a huge wooden machine covered in fire and red markings.

"Now I use Invocation of the Fire Master, and I'll sacrifice Raging Flame Sprite from my hand in order to summon: FIRE MASTER-PYROS (200/0)!"

A small, pixy-like creature appeared floating in the air for a second, before a card showing the shadow of a man wearing a huge tank walking out of a huge fire materialized behind her and absorbed the tiny fairy. The card itself floated backward into the flames around the duel and a shadow appeared within them.

A scrawny looking man wearing a factory worker's uniform, a huge empty tank on his back, and holding two guns which had tubes connecting them to the tank stepped out of the wall of flame surrounding the field.

Kaiba looked over the monster with an amused look on his face.

"I must have missed something here." The CEO snickered, "I thought you said I would burn, but this monster is nothing compared to my dragon."

Tim snickered a little in return.

"Don't worry." The fire duelist said, "He's about to get a lot stronger! Pyros let's me sacrifice one fire monster on my side of the field to increase his own attack by the original attack of the monster. So I'll tribute the Blazing Inpachi. And then I'll equip him with Salamantra, giving him a grand total of 2550 extra attack points!"

The wooden beast suddenly transformed into a sphere of lava and floated into the tank on Pyros's (2050/0) back. At the same time, a fiery dragon wrapped around the guns he was holding! Pyros (2750/0) held up his weapons, pointing them at Kaiba with a sadistic grin on his gaunt face.

Kaiba just shook his head.

"I believe you made a slight miscalculation. Your monster is still no match for mine!"

"That doesn't matter." Tim explained, "If I control more monsters than you do, Pyros can attack your LP directly!"

Kaiba's eyes widened at the news.

"NO!" He shouted as Tim pointed at him.

"Pyros attack him directly with Nocturne of Napalm!" Tim ordered.

Pyros let out a psychotic laugh as two streams of molten rock fired from his weapons, twisting over each other before they plowed directly into Kaiba, sending him to the floor with a huge hole burned through his shirt, and a large scorch mark on his chest.

Kaiba LP: 0

Tim LP: 450

Tim walked across the room, taunting Seto with each step.

"It seems as if you've run out of Life Points Kaiba." He teased.

Seto tried to rise to his feet, but it hurt too much to do much more then lie very, very still and keep from passing out. Each breath that Seto took in sent the taste of ashes through his mouth and a sharp pain through his chest.

Pyros and Tim soon stood over the once prideful and confident CEO, he held his manacle up to Kaiba and scoffed.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen. To think, lord Needlez thought you were even worth my time."

Pyros began to laugh maniacally as he pointed his weapons toward Tim's fallen adversary and began to use them to extract a strange, red sphere out of Seto's chest.

Tim caught the tiny ball in the red gem on his arm as Seto let out a scream of pain. At the same time, the wall of fire around the duel collapsed.

Tim turned around and found himself facing two guards, who quickly reached for their weapons. Tim swiftly fired two small fireballs from his fingertips, shooting the cans of pepper spray and service revolvers right out of their holsters.

The guards were now paralyzed with fear.

Just then, Mokuba broke in through the doors again, this time wielding a fire extinguisher. He was too late however as the wall of flames that had surrounded the duel were now gone, as were all of the monsters that had once fought within the Seal of Fire.

Then Mokuba saw his older brother lying on the ground, motionless.

"Hey you jerk, what did you do to my brother!" He yelled

The fire duelist turned toward Mokuba and stared at him for a moment.

"_What!" _He thought _"No one told me that my target had a brother!"_

Tim quickly turned and ran for the window; a sphere of flame around each hand.

"HEY YOU STOP!" shouted the younger Kaiba brother, pointing the fire extinguisher at him.

As Tim reached the window he threw his hands forward and the flaming spheres shot out toward the glass barrier, melting it.

He jumped. The young fire-duelist leapt from the top floor of the smoldering structure that was once Kaiba Corp. just as he was about to hit the ground though, his shadow turned into a circle and moved directly beneath him. When he hit the shadow, he vanished.

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"And that's what happened." Tim said as he and Brian walked through Domino City Park.

Brian just shook his head.

"I'm not sure whether to murder you for being so _unbelievably _reckless, or be amazed that you actually defeated Seto Kaiba." He sighed.

Tim just flashed a smug smile to the duelist of darkness, who responded by smacking him in the back of the head.

"OW!" Tim shouted.

"Well, that's out of the way," Brian said with a grin, "nice work."

"_Indeed."_ A voice echoed through their minds

Brian and Tim both gasped as a sphere of blue-green light appeared in front of them, radiating strange energy.

"_My Lord."_ Brian thought.

"_Save it, I'll deal with yew later."_ The voice said in a light Scottish accent, _"I'm actually here to congratulate Tim. Fine job lad!"_

"_Thanks!" _Tim thought, _"It really wasn't that tough…"_

"_Are you joking!"_ Brian shouted in his mind, _"If it hadn't been for the Enchanted Javelin you'd be in the same boat as me!"_

"Incidentally," The voice broke in, "Why did yew use it on his Lord of Dragons and not one of the Blue Eyes. Yew could have since it doesn't really target…" 

"_Oh, I know that." _Tim thought, _"I just like messing with people. So, any word on the others?"_

"_Actually, I believe that the next two of our number are approaching their targets as we speak" _The voice confirmed, _"It shouldn't be long now."_

_Next Time:_

_We leave The Land of the Rising Sun, for a very different locale: the deserts of Egypt! There await two more targets of these mysterious duelists (you can probably guess who). A new power of the seals shall also be revealed in the next chapter_

_Time's Up._

_See ya then!_

Original Cards:

Elemental Seal of Fire

Spell Card

Field

Image of a red circle surrounded by strange red symbols. A drawing of a fire is in the center of the circle.

This card cannot be removed from the field. As long as this card remains on the field, increase the attack of all FIRE monsters by 200 points. The controller of this card may treat all monsters on his/her side of the field as FIRE monsters. Once per turn you may discard one monster from your hand and subtract one-half of the discarded monster's attack points from your opponent's life points.

Invocation of the Fire Master

Spell Card

Ritual

Image of a wall of fire with a shadowy figure behind it.

Theis spell may be used to summon "Fire Master-Pyros" by sacrificing monsters from your hand or field whose total level stars equal one or more.

Fire Master-Pyros

Monster

FIRE

Machine

Ritual/Effect

0/0

Picture of a scrawny looking man wearing a factory worker's uniform. Has a huge tank on his back connected to two large guns.

This monster can only be summoned by using "Invocation of the Fire Master" and by sacrificing monsters from your hand or field whose total level stars equal one or more. Once per turn you may sacrifice a FIRE monster to add its original attack to the attack of this monster until the end phase of the turn. If you have more monsters on your side of the field than your opponent, this monster may attack your opponent's life points directly.

Card of Demise

Spell

Image of a man about to cut a stack of cards in half

Draw five cards. After five turns have passed, discard your entire hand before your draw phase

_This card has been used on the show several times before by Seto Kaiba (don't remember the first time it was used). The rules seem to have changed for it since it appeared, but all creative credit goes to the makers of the show._

A/N: Chapter was a lot longer this time huh? We'll try not to have any short chapters again. Any comments or complaints about this fic can be e-mailed to us. The address we're using is on our profile page. Please read and review!


	6. Time's Up

Disclaimer: All we want for Christmas is the rights to the Yu-Gi-Oh show and game. Since that probably won't happen however, Yugi and his friends still don't belong to us. They belong to their proper creators. Original cards and characters are all ours however.

A/N: Happy Holidays! Here's our present to our loyal readers: a new chapter.

_Previously:_

_Kaiba, one of the greatest duelists in the world, has fallen prey to these mysterious new duelists! Now they have their sights set on a new pair on a new continent. What danger awaits in the wind carved dunes of Egypt?_

**Chapter 5**

**Time's Up**

Brian was looking at the sphere of blue-green light with a worried look on his face.

"_Is something troubling ye laddie?" _A voice echoed from the sphere.

"_It's just…" _Brian thought, projecting his thoughts to the orb, _"When I faced off with Wheeler, I started getting angry and I couldn't control myself. And from what Tim told me he started acting kind of, well psychotic during his match with Kaiba."_

"_It's nothing you should worry about." _The voice assured him, _"You had the right to be angry with the duel turning against ye, and your brother was always a little crazy, you said that yourself."_

"_I suppose," _Brian thought, glancing at Tim who was lighting and relighting his fingers, _"But it felt odd dueling that way."_

"_Ye need to be more aggressive in your game anyway." _The voice said, _"'Tis the only way we can save the world from its horrible fate."_

"_So where are the next two," _Brian thought, _"They are in Egypt right now, it won't be long before they reach their targets…"_

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The sun was rising over the Nile River of Egypt. The light sparkling off of its waters giving it the appearance of a silver snake making its way through the barren desert while surrounded by lush green papyrus reed.

Off in the distance, just in sight of the river banks, were the remains of what seemed to have been a temple of some kind. A small entrance was set into a large stone platform sticking just above the sand.

Slowly, three figures emerged from the entrance to greet the dawn.

The first was a boy with short, white hair and a white cloak.

Next to him was a woman who was dressed all in white. A hooded cape that almost reached the ground went over her pure white dress and a golden bracelet around her wrist.

Finally, a man with only a single pony tail sticking out of the back of his head and a purple cape stepped out. He was much larger than the other two and was keeping a close eye on them. He turned his tattooed face toward the horizon, as though watching the sun to make sure it wasn't an approaching enemy.

"It seems it will be a fine day Ishizu." Said the largest one after a moment of silence.

"I believe you are right Odion." The young woman agreed.

The air was already beginning to heat up in the morning sun, and the young man with white hair wiped his brow. He quickly removed his cloak, revealing a black shirt and pants, with a few golden trinkets around his neck and hanging from his ears.

"Marik, what are you doing?" Ishizu asked.

"Relax sister," Marik said as he walked behind a broken pillar and came back with an oddly lumpy cloth sack, "It's already getting warm, as usual, and I just wanted to make sure that our duel disks wouldn't be damaged by the heat."

Ishizu sighed. It had been so long since Battle City she had almost forgotten they still had those.

"I still can't believe you have kept those for as long as you have." She said.

"Why not?" Marik asked, "They were useful in Battle City, and we still enjoy the friendly match from time to time. I even saw you working on your deck last night."

Ishizu blushed slightly. It was true, she had been working on her deck last night, but ever since Battle City there had been little to do.

Once Marik had revealed the markings on his back to the spirit of the pharaoh, his duty as a Tombkeeper had been mostly fulfilled. Since then there had been very little to do other than keep watch over their home and do a little dueling on the side.

Marik had disbanded the Rare Hunters, and done his best to make sure the stolen cards were returned to their rightful owners. But after that, there had been no excitement or danger that had reached them off in Egypt.

Ishizu was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts as Odion spoke up.

"Someone is approaching." He said.

Looking up, Ishizu could see two silhouettes in the distance. One was large and at first glance looked like a walking mountain. The second was much smaller like a child. The smaller ran in circles around the large one.

Marik saw the two shapes coming toward them from the direction of the Nile.

"We haven't had any visitors in a…well ever now that I think about it." Marik pointed out.

"They're probably just lost tourists, traveling in the morning to avoid the heat." Ishizu explained.

The two approached surprisingly fast, as if carried by the wind itself.

Finally, they came into view. The large one had dark brown hair that was neatly combed back, He wore light brown pants a dark brown business jacket over a black shirt that matched his loafers. He was easily seven feet tall, and heavily muscled.

The small one was a blond girl and had short hair, her clothes only served to emphasize her youth with a green and white tie dye tank top, white denim shorts and worn out sandals. On her back was a large pink backpack.

Both strangers soon arrived in front of the tomb keepers even though they seem to have been walking the entire way. Neither of them looked tired at all, in fact, the little girl seemed to be bouncing with energy!

"Hi," greeted the large one (he spoke with a thick Brooklyn accent), "do you three live near hear? I think we're lost."

The little girl looked up at Marik, "Daddy and I came here to see the pyramids!"

Odion looked at the small child, who stared back up at him.

"Wow! You're bald!" The girl exclaimed.

Ignoring the child Odion turned his attention to the adult.

"Is there something we can do to help you?" He asked simply.

"Yeah, can you point us in the direction of the city? We got separated from our tour group and had to spend the night in the desert!" The man explained.

"It gets really really really cold in the desert at night." The girl said.

"Fortunately, we had some camping supplies with us." The man finished

"We'd be glad to help." Ishizu said.

Then Odion pulled her aside.

"Miss Ishizu." Odion whispered, "I sense something odd about these two."

"Odion, they are lost travelers who need our help." Ishizu whispered back.

"Then where is the camping equipment they spoke of?" Odion questioned.

Ishizu looked over at the two, and at once realized that Odion was right. Other than their clothes and the girl's backpack the duo had nothing with them.

Marik had also caught on, but did his best not to show it.

"So, where are your supplies?" He asked.

"Couldn't lug them all over the desert during the day." The man said, "We figured we'd reach civilization soon."

The girl was shifting her feet impatiently and then saw the bag Marik was still holding.

"Ooh, what's that?" She asked grabbing at the bag. The adult pulled her back.

"Now Zeffie _dear_ remember what I said about being polite." He said.

"But Goldie…" The girl whined.

"And I told you not to call me Goldie!" He shouted.

Marik, Ishizu, and Odion looked at the man, shocked at his sudden outburst. Zeffie gasped…

And then kicked the larger man in the shin!

"Yeouch!" He shouted dropping the girl.

"Um, we can help you find the city if you want…" Marik started.

"Zeffie knows you aren't falling for it." The girl said, "Zeffie knew we should have done this her way in the first place but Goldie said we had to do it his old, grown up, _boring_ way."

"It would have worked if you had stayed in character!" He shouted.

"It would have worked if Goldie wasn't a such a dummy!" Zeffie yelled back.

"This family has problems." Marik sighed.

"Like she's really my daughter!" The man yelled, "Do you really think I could raise a child this obnoxious!"

Zeffie kicked the man again who winced and then turned back to the Tombkeepers.

"We should have been honest outright." He said, "My name is Gold. Mr. Gold. My young associate is Zeffie. And we are here to duel!"

"I assume you mean us." Ishizu said as Marik pulled the bag closer to his body, "But why would you wish to face us?"

"You have something we need." Zeffie said with a smile, "And Zeffie knows how to get it!"

Suddenly, a blast of wind fired away from Zeffie's body, sending a vortex of sand toward the trio!

"Marik, Ishizu, get inside now!" Odion ordered, jumping in front of the storm.

Sand began to whip across the Egyptian. Ishizu and Marik gasped as their adopted brother was soon covered in a golden cast!

Gold smiled as he held up one hand, revealing a golden bracelet with a strange brown stone in it. The sand began to shift around Odion, and then solidified!

"Odion!" Marik shouted.

"Don't worry I left air holes." Gold said, "And they'll stay there as long as you two agree to face us!"

Marik turned to Ishizu, a look of worry in his eyes as he pulled two duel disks out of the bag. Ishizu nodded as she took her disk and pulled a deck out of the pocket of her robes.

Zeffie in the meantime pulled two loaded disks out of her backpack and tossed one to Gold.

"We'll play this two-on-two." Gold explained, "No sharing of strategies between partners, each player has their own life point score. If your partner goes down, you have to fight alone. And you can use your monsters, spells, and traps to guard your partner. You can also sacrifice your partner's monsters too with their permission. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" The other three shouted as their disks activated.

Zeffie giggled childishly as she, Gold, and the Ishtars drew their first five cards.

"This is going to be so much fun!" She said happily, a duel had just begun.

Zeffie LP: 8000

Marik LP: 8000

Mr. Gold LP: 8000

Ishizu LP: 8000

"And Zeffie gets to go first, so I'll draw and summon my Chaosrider Gustaph (1400/1500) in attack mode!" Zeffie continued.

A red motorcycle with a strange green skinned man holding a spear riding it appeared in front of Zeffie who smiled and looked over at Marik, nodding to signal the end of her turn.

"My move then," The young tomb keeper declared as he drew his sixth card, "I'll summon Mechanical Chaser (1850/800) and lay one card face down. That's all"

Now Marik had a yellow ball shaped machine with many different weapons protecting his life points.

"My turn now," Gold stated, "And I'll summon one monster in face down defense mode and lay two cards face down as well. Your move broad."

The two cards appeared in front of Gold.

Ishizu shot an ugly look at Gold before calmly picking up her first card.

"I do not know why you challenged us, or how you gained power over earth and air, but your tactics will not be enough to defeat us. I'll summon Mudora (1500/1400) and couple him with my Cestus of Dalga to boost his attack points. Mudora (2000/1400), attack and destroy the Chaosrider Gustaph now!"

The masked fairy leapt towards Zeffie's monster swinging its new weapons at the road warrior. Suddenly, the Cestus burst into hundreds of particles! Gustaph took full advantage of the situation and threw a hard right hook at Mudora, scattering it to the winds.

Ishizu stared at the spot her monster once occupied, "What happened?" She asked no one in particular.

"My face down cards that's what! Disarmament to destroy your spell and Reinforcements to increase the attack of Zeffie's monster." Gold stated, "You done yet?"

"Not quite," Ishizu declared, struggling to regain her composure, "I'll lay two more cards face down. Now I'm finished."

Zeffie LP: 8000

Marik LP: 8000

Mr. Gold LP: 8000

Ishizu LP: 7600

"You got that right," Zeffie said looking at the new card she had drawn, "Hey Goldie! You ready to take these wimps down?"

"You know it!" Gold shouted to his partner.

"Alright then," Zeffie said as a smile crept across her face, "Then Zeffie will play the Elemental Seal of Wind!"

"And when she does I can play my Elemental Seal of Earth!" Gold stated.

Each of the duelists quickly played a card into the field zone of their respective duel disks and a strange circle began to surround the area. On Zeffie and Marik's side of the field it was green with a cloud image between the two of them, while on Gold and Ishizu's half it was a golden brown with a series of jagged lines on the ground between the duelists.

"Two field spells at the same time?" Marik shouted, "That isn't allowed, there can only be one type of field present during a duel."

Zeffie just grinned again and explained, "Well you see, the seal of wind and the seal of earth are two parts of a much stronger seal. So Gold and Zeffie can each play our seal and it will only affect our half of the field, or in this case it affects our quarter of the field and the section of whoever is across from us."

Ishizu's brow began to furrow as she looked at the strange circle which now held her and her brother. _"There's something strange about these two. This seal of theirs holds great power. If Marik and I aren't careful, this could be the end of us!"_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm telling ya Yug,'" said Joseph Wheeler trying to catch his breath, "he was more evil than Bakura, and about as screwy as Pegasus"

Yugi Mutoh sighed, his best friend was not making sense.

"Look, Joey, why don't you come over and we'll figure this out?" He suggested

Joey smiled "'kay, Yug'." He said.

Holding the phone away from his ear he turned toward the kitchen.

"Hey, Serenity, we're gonna go over to Yugi's!" He called out

"Only if I can bring my new friend!" was the answer.

Joey smiled and turned back to the phone

"Hey Yugi, can Serenity bring a friend along?" He asked.

"Sure, I guess" Yugi said after a second, "After all, it's nice to meet new people. What's her name?"

"Celeste. And we'll meetcha there." Joey said.

With that he hung up and headed toward the next room.

He found his sister in the kitchen with her new friend and quickly recognized her as the girl from the bat exhibit, but in there it had been to dark to see clearly.

The girl stood slightly taller than Serenity, and was standing near the kitchen table with her comparing duel monster cards.

"Here Serenity since you and I are two of a kind you can have this card." Celeste said.

She handed Serenity a monster card which seemed to be a holographic Wing Weaver. Serenity gasped as her friend reassured her.

"Don't worry I've got a few things that can take her place." She said with a smile

Serenity was shocked. "You mean it? Where did you get it? I mean those are, super rare!"

Celeste just blushed a little

"Well, where I live we have some awesome underground tourneys and that was a Third place prize. I figured if you wanted to duel you'd need a little extra firepower so take her."

The girls both smiled and continued comparing decks until Serenity handed a card to her new friend

"Well I have something that might help you, I mean I see you already have a Soul of Purity and Light but it can't hurt to have two ".

Celeste had a sad smile and nodded.

"If you insist then I thank you." She said.

That was when the girls noticed Joey and turned to look at him.

Joey blinked a little bit. It was the strangest thing. He could see Celeste perfectly, even though usually his kitchen was rather dark and dim.

"_Of course anything would seem bright after being in the cave exhibit."_ Joey thought.

"Hey girls, I see everything here is going fine." Joey said, "Unfortunately, we've got places to go Serenity, but you're welcome to come if you want Celeste."

"Why thank you, that would be lovely." Celeste said.

With that, Celeste and Serenity cleaned up their cards and hurried out the door with Joey, off the game shop Yugi's grandpa owned, unaware of the danger that a trio of old friends was in.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zeffie laughed as green cloud-shaped tattoos appeared all over her body and the iris of her eyes began to swirl like a tornado.

"Time to explain what these cards can do." She said, "Zeffie's seal will increase the attack of all creatures of wind by 200 points!"

Gold held up one arm, which was now covered with jagged brown lines, and gestured toward his seal.

"And mine does the same, except for creatures of earth!" He announced

Zeffie held up a card.

"Now then, let's really get things started! Zeffie summons Winged Sage Falcos (1500/1100) and activates a spell card, Book of the Moon!"

A falcon headed man in white robes appeared in front of Zeffie and at the same time a large blue book fell on top of the Mechanical Chaser (1850/850).

Marik stared as his monster was replaced by the brown back of a card.

"What was that!" He shouted.

Zeffie pointed to the card.

"Sorry, didn't you know? My Book of the Moon forces any monster I want into face down defense mode! Now Falcos, attack Marik's monster!" Zeffie ordered.

Falcos held up one hand generating a miniature tornado and blasted Marik's card off of the field. The young Tombkeeper watched as the monster suddenly jumped off of his disk and to the top of his deck.

Zeffie nodded, "That's right. Falcos sends any monster he beats back to the top of its owner's deck. Oh by the way, Zeffie is also going to have Chaosrider Gustaph (1600/1500) attack you directly!"

The green skinned cyclist charged forward, knocking Marik off his feet by clothes lining him with the spear.

Zeffie LP: 8000

Marik LP: 6400

Mr. Gold LP: 8000

Ishizu LP: 7600

"Now Zeffie lays this face down and ends her turn." Zeffie finished.

"_Why does she keep referring to herself in the third person?"_ Marik wondered as he got to his feet.

Marik drew his card and suddenly Zeffie's card turned face up!

"Zeffie activates Drop Off! Time to send your chaser to the graveyard." Zeffie taunted, "Hooray for me!"

Marik rolled his eyes.

"_That was an unusual waste of cards. Why not just use Gustaph to destroy my monster for good? Her playing style is so childish! I guess that even if she is evil, she's still just a little girl."_

Marik shook his head.

"Time to start taking the two of you down! I activate my face down Forced Requisition in response to Zeffie's trap! And now I activate my Curse of the Masked Beast and sacrifice Lava Golem from my hand to summon the Masked Beast (3300/2800)! Finally I'll use my Graceful Charity!"

Marik smiled as first a huge centaur-like beast appeared on the field and then a bright light sparkled around his deck.

"Now then let me explain. Forced Requisition forces the two of you to discard the same number of cards as I do when I have to discard from my hand, so Gold, lose three cards from your hand, two for Graceful Charity and one for my ritual."

Marik drew the top three cards and discarded two and Gold growled as he dropped three cards from his hand.

Marik pointed straight ahead, "Now Masked Beast, attack and destroy Falcos!"

Zeffie screamed as Marik's monster jumped toward her creature and tore it apart.

Zeffie LP: 6200

Marik LP: 6400

Gold LP: 8000

Ishizu LP: 7400

"That's all." Marik stated and Gold drew his next card.

"You big meanie!" Zeffie yelled, "I hope Goldie beats you up real bad!"

Gold smiled, "Relax Zef, I got this." His smile was replaced by a scowl, "But don't call me 'Goldie" okay? Now then, its time to start the end of this duel!"

Zeffie looked at Gold, "Aw…do you have to use _that _card? It will be so _boring_!"

Gold ignored Zeffie and played a new card, "I activate Final Countdown! Now if this duel doesn't end in 20 turns, Zeffie and I automatically win! And it only costs me 2000 LP."

A ring of twenty fire balls now surrounded the field. Ishizu looked nervously at the flames as Gold continued, stopping only to cough up a little blood due to the LP he had spent.

"Ewwww!" Zeffie moaned, seeing the blood.

Ignoring Zeffie once again, Gold tapped a button on his disk. "Now it's time to take care of that monster Marik summoned. I flip my Man Eater Bug and use it to destroy the Masked Beast!"

A giant, brown bug materialized on the field and lunged toward Marik's creature, shattering it. Gold smiled as he swept the monster off his field.

"And now I sacrifice my Man Eater Bug to summon Millennium Shield (200/3000) in defense mode." A huge gold and red shield with an eye carved on it sprung up in front of Gold, looking ready to defend his LP.

Zeffie LP: 6200

Marik LP: 6400

Gold LP: 6000

Ishizu LP: 7400

Ishizu looked at her next card as one of the flames around the field disappeared.

"I'll use my first face down card, Jar of Greed, to draw one card. Then I shall activate the Stop Defense to force the Millennium Shield into attack mode. Finally I summon the Three Headed Geedo (1200/1400) and attack Gold's monster!" She declared.

The shield turned its gaze on Ishizu's new monster, a creature with a body that looked like coral and three mask-like faces. Ishizu's monster lunged forward, aiming a punch right at the shield.

Zeffie laughed as she flipped over her face down card. "Nice try but Zeffie will activate Compulsory Evacuation Device to send your monster back to your hand."

She giggled as a strange machine sprang up in front of Geedo. Suddenly, a purple mist surrounded the machine, causing it to shatter into pieces!

Ishizu shook her head. "It's not that easy, I use my other card, Trap Jammer! It negates the activation and effect of your trap. So my attack continues!"

Gold held up one hand. "Not bad! But unfortunately for you one of the cards I lost 'cause of your brother was a trap called Grave Shield."

A huge gravestone suddenly burst from the ground in front of the Geedo and forced it away from Gold's shield.

Gold smiled at Ishizu's frustrated look, "You see, Grave Shield can only be used by removing it from my graveyard. It automatically forces your battle phase to end!"

Gold turned his gaze toward his young cohort. "Now Zeffie, I'm glad you tried to help, but you need to focus on Marik. You can help me _after_ you get rid of him, OK?" Zeffie nodded her head and Gold smiled. "Atta girl!"

Ishizu sighed as she laid one more card down and Zeffie began her turn.

Zeffie started bouncing up and down in excitement, looking at her new card. "Hooray! I just drew the perfect card! I summon Sonic Bird (1600/1000) and use its special ability to fetch a ritual spell card from my deck."

An eagle with a jet pack on its back appeared on the field, clutching a card in its beak which Zeffie happily accepted.

Marik seemed confused. "Wait a minute! There aren't any ritual monsters that are wind aligned!" He shouted

Zeffie giggled. "Even if that was true, it wouldn't matter because the seal turns any monster Zeffie plays into a wind monster! Now, Zeffie activates Promise to the Wind Master and sacrifices Sonic Bird and another Winged Sage Falcos from her hand to summon: WIND MASTER-ZEPHYROS (2400/1500)!"

Zeffie's new card showed a picture of several people gathered seemingly cheering for, or perhaps waving goodbye to, a large tornado. Just then, a huge column of wind came down in front of Zeffie sucking up her Sonic Bird and one card that she held out to it.

In the center of the column appeared an aged man with a long beard and green wizard robes who held up both his hands, causing the wind around him to stop as its attack score appeared next to it.

Marik looked at the card on Zeffie's disk. "Hey wait a second, that card's printed attack is 2000! How can its attack be 2400 now?"

The wind duelist began to jump for joy. "Zephyros gets a double bonus from cards that affect creatures of wind. Time to deal some damage to you Marik! Wind Master Zephyros attack with Tornado Tango!"

"Oh no you don't!" Ishizu shouted, "I'll…"

"No Ishizu don't!" Marik shouted, "I can't let you endanger yourself!"

Marik braced himself as two tornadoes blazed past him cutting his life points down. As he dropped his arms to his side though, Gustaph dashed forward and smashed him in the chest with the butt of his spear, causing the Egyptian duelist to fall to his knees.

Zeffie LP: 6200

Marik LP: 3600

Gold LP: 6000

Ishizu LP: 7400

18 turns left

Ishizu stared at the LP count on her brother's duel disk, "Wait, something is wrong! Marik lost 600 LP too many!"

Zeffie shook her head as she held up two cards and then put them into the pocket of her shorts

"Oh no he didn't. You see Ms. Ishizu, Zeffie can remove up to two spell cards from the graveyard to increase the attack of Chaosrider Gustaph by 300 for each spell! At least until the end of the turn."

Marik groaned in pain as he drew his next card.

"I activate the Card of Sanctity." He said weakly as he drew four new cards and smiled as he waited until the others had drawn, "And now I'll activate the Card of Demise! I draw five cards now and in five turns I lose my entire hand. And thanks to Forced Requisition you two of you will take a hit to your hands too! Now I'll lay three cards face down and end my turn. Of course since I have more than six cards in my hand I have to discard down to the proper amount."

Marik smiled as he dropped two cards into his graveyard.

"And now if each of you would please discard one card?"

Gold and Zeffie each slid a card into their graveyards and the Earth Duelist began his turn.

"I'm gonna make you sorry that you ever touched that trap of yours. I activate Calling of the Earth Master and I'll sacrifice my Millennium Shield and the Trojan Horse in my hand to summon: EARTH MASTER-GEOS (0?)!" He shouted.

Gold's spell showed a young man standing in front of a huge statue, praying to it as if for protection. A humongous statue suddenly rose from the ground in front of Gold, absorbing the shield and a card from Gold's hand as it did so, and crossed its arms in a defensive position as Gold grinned.

"Maybe you should have reconsidered that move." Marik teased, "Your monster has no attack points."

"That may be true," Gold retorted, "but when Geos is summoned I can automatically put him in defense mode and his defense equals the number of Earth monsters in all of our graveyards."

Gold began to laugh as his monster's rocky skin thickened and turned gray, almost like granite.

"And in case you weren't paying attention, there are currently five creatures of Earth in our graves: Mudora, Trojan Horse, Man Eater Bug, Millennium Shield, and one other I lost because of Marik's trap. So that means that Geos has 5000 defense points. And now I'll end my turn, and continue the countdown."

Ishizu drew her next card and looked at the sixteen flames still glowing around them. "We will not lose." She said, "I activate the Pot of Greed."

Ishizu looked at her seven cards and nodded as she held up a spell.

"Now I'll activate my Spell Reproduction card. I give up two spells from my hand to bring back and use my Stop Defense and force Geos into attack mode. Next I'll summon Zolga (1700/1000) in attack mode. Now then it's time for my monsters to strike down Geos and your life points!"

Geos uncrossed its arms as a figure in purple robes appeared next to Ishizu's three headed monster and started to move toward Gold.

Gold shook his head. "You must get so tired of being stopped by me. I'll sacrifice one of the monsters in my hand to activate another effect of my seal. When I drop a monster from my hand, it immediately negates any damage I take and prevents my monsters from being destroyed by any source, be it monster, spell, or trap until the end of this turn."

The seal on the ground began to glow and a protective barrier appeared in front of Gold's monster. Geos (0/6000) began to change again, drawing strength from the new monster in the grave, as its body began to glisten with gems that appeared on its surface.

Ishizu just laid one more card face down

"It's your move." She said to Zeffie.

Zeffie drew her next card.

"Let's keep going! Zeffie summons Gray Wing (1500/700) and now it's time to say goodbye to Marik!"

A serpentine dragon with gray scales materialized and suddenly and ring of bombs attached itself to the monster. With a deafening blast the dragon was wiped out.

Zeffie LP: 3200

Marik LP: 3600

Gold LP: 6000

Ishizu LP: 7400

15 turns left

Zeffie coughed as she whipped up a gust of wind and blew the smoke away. "What happened?" She asked.

Marik smiled as he pointed to his trap cards.

"It's simple. I used my Ring of Destruction to destroy Gray Wing and subtract his attack from each of our LP, except mine because I used Barrel Behind the Door to redirect the damage I would have taken to your LP!"

Zeffie glared and noticed that the hard gems on Geos (0/7000) had grown considerably.

"Well Goldie must have used his seal's effect to avoid damage but what about Ishizu?" She asked

Ishizu pointed to a large white circle in front of her.

"I used my Ring of Protection to negate the damage that would have been dealt to my life points."

Zeffie grumbled a little.

"Yeah, well I still have two monsters ready to attack. And I'll use Zephyros to hit Marik directly!"

Zephyros fired another set of tornados toward Marik who just shook his head and flipped over his last face down card revealing a pair of tubes. The tornados flew in one tube and out the other toward Zeffie who screamed as she was blown back by the strong winds redirected by Marik's Magic Cylinder.

Zeffie LP: 800

Marik LP: 3600

Gold LP: 6000

Ishizu LP: 7400

15 turns left

"Looks like I'm not the only one who was making some changes to their deck." Ishizu said with a smile.

Marik grinned at his sister and turned toward the prone girl.

Zeffie got to her feet, a small green glow coming from behind her hair as she stood up.

"You done with those stupid traps yet?" She asked, "Because I still have Gustaph and since you're defenseless I can hit you directly!"

Gustaph's bike roared as he charged forward toward Marik, who braced himself for another strike from the staff. Instead, Gustaph swung his spear! Marik screamed as he was lifted by the collar of his shirt on the spear point and Gustaph slammed him head first into the sand.

Zeffie LP: 800

Marik LP: 2000

Gold LP: 6000

Ishizu LP: 7400

15 turns left

"I'll finish my turn by laying these two cards face down. That's all." Zeffie said coldly.

Marik shivered a little as he got to his feet and reached for his deck.

"_What happened? She suddenly got so cold and cruel."_

Marik drew and smiled as he remembered his trap card.

"This will be over soon. The end of my turn will make five turns since I played Card of Demise and then you two will lose your entire hands!" He shouted

Marik looked smug when a sudden blast of wind shot his Forced Requisition off the field.

"Hey what the…" Marik started.

"You are such an idiot." Zeffie sighed, "That was my Dust Tornado and I used it to destroy Forced Requisition so now even when you discard your hand, Gold and I won't have to discard anything from ours."

Marik looked over his seven cards, realizing he needed to make them work for him in the best way possible. Suddenly his eyes widened as an idea came.

"I summon Bowganian in attack mode and activate Monster Gate!" He declared

A one eyed machine appeared for a split second before a blue gate opened in the air above it and sucked it up.

"Now I sacrifice one monster on the field, Bowganian in this case, and I draw cards until I come across a monster. I then get to special summon the monster but I lose the other cards I pick up."

Marik began to pick up cards announcing each one.

"Trap, spell, spell, trap, AHA!" Marik triumphantly held up a card, "Perfect! I can now summon my Ultimate Obedient Fiend (3500/3000)!"

A huge red demon burst from the ground in front of Marik who pointed straight ahead.

"I can't attack with him since I still have cards in my hand, but just like Geos, you two won't be able to get to me or my sister now thanks to my fiend! So I'll end my turn here." Marik announced, discarding the rest of his hand due to Card of Demise.

"We'll see about that." Gold said.

The evil duelist smiled. "All right! I just drew my Soul Assistant spell card. I can remove up to three monsters in my graveyard from play to draw three new cards."

The card appeared in front of him, showing the image of a ghost filing papers, and Gold quickly slid three cards from his graveyard and put them in the pocket of his suit, then drew three cards. Geos(0/4000) shuddered a little as the gems on his body fell away and he fell back to his knees as Gold put him in defense mode.

"Sure, Geos gets a little weaker, but none of you have a monster that could beat him. And even if you did, I would just discard a monster and increase his defense even more. But for now, he goes back to defense mode." Gold held up another card, "Now this next card here is called Time Warp. It's really a great little card, 'cause it lets me move the turn count forward by up to ten turns, at the cost of 700 LP a turn."

The new card showed a young woman who was staring at one of her hands as it became withered and old. At the same time, the ground beneath everyone's feet turned into a giant clock which began to spin faster and faster.

Gold adopted a look of concentration as he tried to calculate how far he could move time and Zeffie let out a frustrated sigh.

"You can move the turn count ahead by eight without killing yourself." She said, "So just do it!"

Gold rolled his eyes toward his young associate.

"I would have figured that out myself." He said as eight of the flames around the field were snuffed out and the earth duelist almost passed out from the LP loss.

Zeffie LP: 800

Marik LP: 2000

Gold LP: 400

Ishizu LP: 7400

5 turns left

"That's all for now." Gold announced as Ishizu drew her new card and held up one card in her hand.

"I'll lay this card face down. And seeing as it's pointless to try to attack either of you I'll end my turn."

Zeffie nodded as she drew. "Glad to see at least one of you has learned something. Too bad that it's too late for Marik! I give up a monster from my hand to activate the power of my Seal of Wind."

A huge blast of wind burst out from beneath Marik's fiend, shooting it to his hand. "OH-NO!" Marik shouted as Zeffie pointed straight toward him.

"Oh yes." She said, "My seal can send a monster on the field back to its owner's hand when I drop a monster from my hand. And now it's time to say good-bye. Wind Master Zephyros, show him the power of the wind!"

"No!" Ishizu shouted, "I shall use my monster…"

"Don't!" Marik yelled, "Ishizu I know you'll need one more turn to win this for us! If I go down, the count ends on your turn so you'll have to make it count!"

"But Marik…" Ishizu started.

Then Zephyros raised his hands to the sky.

Marik barely had time to scream before a column of wind descended around him, forcing him to the ground and drawing a small green light from his body.

Zeffie LP: 4300

Marik LP: 0

Gold LP: 400

Ishizu LP: 7400

3 turns left

"Marik!" Ishizu shouted, staring helplessly at her prone brother before turning her gaze on her opponents, "You will pay for what you have done!"

Zeffie giggled as a small breeze blew her hair back, revealing a simple silver circlet with a green, teardrop shaped stone set in it which the green light floated into.

"You shouldn't worry Miss Ishizu." Zeffie said, her voice happy and bouncy again, "Marik got what was coming to him for resisting the power of the Elemental Duelist of Wind."

"And if you know what's good for you, you'll give up right now!" Gold called out.

Zeffie shot an angry look at her partner.

"Hey! It's rude to interrupt like that! Well it's still my turn and now that my target is out of the way I can start helping Goldie. Hooray! Zeffie will have Gustaph attack your stinky old Geedo right now."

Gustaph blazed across the field once more and shattered one of Ishizu's only monsters as Gold yelled "Hey, don't call me 'Goldie'!"

Zeffie LP: 4300

Marik LP: 0

Gold LP: 400

Ishizu LP: 7000

3 turns left

Zeffie smiled. "I end my turn." She said as another flame flickered out.

Gold drew and nodded. "You're toast broad. I end my turn, and unless you can beat both me and Zeffie in one move you'll lose once your turn is over."

Ishizu drew and looked over her hand.

"Marik gave up himself so that I could defeat you. I will not let his sacrifice be in vain! Now I shall show you the true strength of the Tombkeepers!" Ishizu shouted.

Gold shot a puzzled look at his opponent. "Lady, I think that you have spent way too much time in the sun."

Ishizu ignored the remark and continued.

"I activate the spell Soul Release and remove Millennium Shield, Man-Eater Bug, Trojan Horse, Time Warp, and Final Countdown from Gold's Graveyard." She declared

Spheres of light immediately shot out of Gold's grave, forming into the cards Ishizu had named. Geos (0/3000) weakened even further, but still remained just as unshakable as it had been before.

Ishizu held out another card, this one showing a beautiful angel holding a shining card.

"Now I activate, Graceful Charity!" She declared, "True it lets me draw three cards, but I'm more interested in discarding two."

Gold narrowed his eyes at Ishizu as she dropped the cards into her graveyard.

"Just what are you trying to pull?" He asked.

Ishizu smiled as her face down card flipped over.

"The only thing I am going to pull is a victory from the jaws of defeat. I activate Exchange of the Spirit! Since there are more than fifteen cards in my graveyard I can, at the cost of 1000 LP, force all of us to switch our decks with our graveyards."

As the duelists did so Ishizu stumbled a little, becoming slightly dizzy from the sudden LP drop.

Zeffie LP: 800

Marik LP: 0

Gold LP: 400

Ishizu LP: 6000

1 turn left

Zeffie and Gold looked nervous; each of them with less than ten cards in what was now their decks.

Ishizu held up a new card.

"Now I use my Card of Sanctity. And follow it with Card Destruction."

All three duelists quickly drew, discarded, and drew again. Zeffie and Gold gasped however as they each came up short of the required six they had to draw, while Ishizu stood smiling with a slim stack of cards sitting in her disk.

"No way!" Gold shouted.

"Wow, she beat us both by a deck out. That's pretty impressive." Zeffie said, with a tone of admiration.

"Be impressed later, we just lost!" Gold growled as the sand beneath his feet began to shift around.

Zeffie LP: DECK OUT

Marik LP: 0

Gold LP: DECK OUT

Ishizu LP: 6000

1 turn left

Gold turned behind him and, with the crystal on his bracelet shining, threw his fist into the surrounding sand. A brown barrier appeared in the air around them and shattered, leaving behind a pulse of energy that made the nearby sands jump.

The giant duelist turned toward Ishizu, a look of shame and anger covered his face and filled his eyes.

"Dumb broad!" he shouted at her, "This was supposed to be easy! Well, if I can't beat you in a duel…"

Gold trailed of and muttered the rest of the statement under his breath.

A wall of sandstone shot up behind Ishizu as she tried to turn and run. Gold's hands wrapped around her throat and gripped tighter and tighter, squeezing the life out of her so that her dark skin became pale and the only light in her eyes was from the magnificent gem on Gold's bracelet.

Zeffie screamed as the shimmering barrier of wind that had surrounded her faded away.

"Don't worry Zefs, I won't be long!" Gold shouted.

Then a powerful blow landed right on the side of his head.

Ishizu fell to her knees, gasping for breath, and looked up to see Odion standing over her, brushing sand off his clothes.

"Odion…" she coughed.

"I'm fine." Odion said simply, "Are you and Marik okay?"

"I'm okay." Marik said weakly as he got to his feet.

Zeffie ran over to Gold, who was clutching his head as the glow in his bracelet vanished.

"Lordie Needlez is going to be really mad about this." Zeffie said.

Gold paled slightly and turned to Zeffie.

"I think it's time we left." He said, "Zeffie, if you would."

Zeffie nodded and a whirlwind shot up around her and Gold lifting them into the air.

The three Tombkeepers watched as they flew off, Zeffie looking back and giggling.

"Thanks for the talent Mr. Marik." She laughed.

The trio was silent for a minute as Odion and Ishizu stared at Marik.

"We should let the pharaoh know of this." Marik said, "It looks serious."

---------------------------------------------------

As Zeffie and Gold flew through the air over the desert, an orb of blue-green light jumped in front of them.

"_Well, looks like that could have gone better for ye." _Said the Scottish voice with a sarcastic tone.

"_Umm, yah about that…"_ Gold started.

"_Shut it! I don't need yer excuses. Yew two are to report back so I can properly congratulate wee Zeffie and properly punish yew!" _The voice yelled.

"_And for the sake of the next of our allies, pray that he truly is better than you Gold!"_

_Another has fallen to these mystery duelists. But what could they be collecting talent for? And who is the next target? It's back to Japan for our next chapter titled_

_H 2 Oh-No!_

_For some of the answers._

_(Hey, we can't give everything away)_

Original Cards

Elemental Seal of Wind

Spell Card

Field

Image of a large green circle surrounded by strange green letters. A large puffy cloud drawing sits in the center.

This card cannot be removed from the field. As long as this card remains on the field, increase the attack of all WIND monsters by 200 points. The controller of this card may treat all monsters on his/her side of the field as WIND monsters. Once per turn you may discard one monster from your hand and send one card on the field back to its owner's hand. If this card is played while another field spell with the word "Elemental Seal" is in play, both cards will remain in play and will only benefit their respective controllers.

----

Promise to the Wind Master

Spell Card

Ritual

Image of a group of people cheering for a huge tornado.

Theis spell may be used to summon "Wind Master-Zephyros" by sacrificing monsters from your hand or field whose total level stars equal eight or more.

----

Wind Master-Zephyros

Monster

WIND

Spellcaster

Ritual/Effect

2000/1500

An aged man wearing green robes, his hair and clothes constantly blown by a strange wind.

This monster can only be summoned by using "Promise to the Wind Master" and by sacrificing monsters from your hand or field whose total level stars equal eight or more. This monster recieve double the normal effects of cards that increase the attack of WIND monsters.

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Elemental Seal of Earth

Spell Card

Field

Image of a golden brown circle surrounded by strange letters. Three jagged lines are drawn in the center of the circle.

This card cannot be removed from the field. As long as this card remains on the field, increase the attack of all EARTH monsters by 200 points. The controller of this card may treat all monsters on his/her side of the field as EARTH monsters. Once per turn you may discard one monster from your hand and negate any damage done to your life points or your monsters until the end phase of this turn. If this card is played while another field spell with the word "Elemental Seal" is in play, both cards will remain in play and will only benefit their respective controllers.

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Calling of the Earth Master

Spell Card

Ritual

Image of a young man praying to a huge statue.

This spell may be used to summon "Earth Master-Geos" by sacrificing monsters from your hand or field whose total level stars equal eight or more.

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Earth Master-Geos

Monster

EARTH

Rock

Ritual/Effect

0?

A huge statue seemingly brought to life. Made of a strange, unidentifiable stone

This monster can only be summoned by using "Calling of the Earth Master" and by sacrificing monsters from your hand or field whose total level stars equal eight or more. The defense of this monser is equal to the number of EARTH monsters in every players graveyard x 1000

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Grave Shield

Trap

Image of a Chaos Necromancer being stopped by a huge gravestone

Remove this card in your graveyard from play. Immediately end your opponent's battle phase.

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Soul Assistant

Spell

Image of a shadowy ghost filing papers

Remove up to three monsters in your graveyard from play. Draw one card for each monster removed

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Time Warp

Spell

Image of a young woman staring at her hand which is wrinkled and aged

Move the turn count forward by up to ten turns at the cost of 700 life points each.

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Ring of Protection

Spell

Quick Effect

Image of a large white ring with many shields on it.

Negate any damage done to you by any one source.

This card has been used multiple times in the anime, all creative credit goes to the writers of the show.

----

A/N: Happy Holidays one and all. In case you didn't get the message: REVIEWS MAKE GREAT HOLIDAY GIFTS! Thank you.


	7. H 2 Oh No!

Disclaimer: Sadly, we still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, though that's not for a lack of trying. The original cards and characters are ours unless otherwise noted.

A/N: A Happy New Year to all of our loyal readers! Now here's a little surprise for all of you, a brand new chapter from us just in time for next year! It's our last new chapter of 2005, so enjoy it.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. was down during our usual updating times.

_Previously:_

_The problem with the mysterious duelists has spread to Egypt, as Marik and Ishizu find themselves being attacked by the wielders of the seals of wind and earth. Marik is defeated and loses his talent to his opponents, but Ishizu is able to pull off a win at the last possible moment. Now we return to Japan to catch up on a couple old friends in a thrilling new chapter!_

**Chapter 6**

**H 2 Oh No!**

It was a hot summer's day in and near Domino city. The weather forecast was wrong about the coming rain (they usually were) and to escape the heat many people had decided to go to a water park (complete with water slides all sorts of rapids and log flume rides, a wave pool, and even a regular old swimming pool for less excitable guests), less than an hour outside the city limits (though closer to two hours with today's traffic). Most went with their friends and family, but one young woman was all alone near the wave pool.

The young woman had long, blond hair and covered her eyes with a pair of very dark sunglasses. She wore a plain purple bikini that showed off her slender, well-toned body. She was lying, half asleep in a pool chair trying to get a better tan and ignoring passing teenage boys who stood at a distance ogling her, while underneath the chair lay a duel disk and deck, which she carried with her out of sheer habit.

Life had been pretty dull for Mai Valentine since that whole Orichalcos scare had ended. She had gone off, back to drifting from town to town and doing some soul searching while she was at it. While she never had any trouble taking care of herself during these trips (you can actually make a lot of money at tournaments in some cities, and the money she had already saved up from earlier jobs and tourneys helped) she still felt something pulling her back to Domino City.

So now, here she was, knowing full well that the city and a group of friends she had left behind last summer were only about an hour or two away, but for some reason finding herself unable to finish her little pilgrimage. As much as she wanted to see them again, memories of her past betrayal to the group still lingered in her mind.

The waves in the pool died down, and most of the swimmers went back to their pool side seats. This is when the young woman felt a few drops of cold water fall onto her face.

"Hey, loser," she said, "You're blocking my sun."

Next to her chair now stood a young man who looked so tan, it was like he had lived his entire life at the beach. His black hair had a blue stripe in it that matched his swim trunks. He smiled.

"You're Mai Valentine aren't you?"

The bikini clad beauty sat up and lowered her glasses. Glaring at this new conversation partner she returned the question.

"Who wants to know?" She asked gruffly

The young man smiled and pointed straight at Mai with a determined look on his face.

"I am Mako Tsunami, duelist of the ocean! I have come to challenge you Mai!" He declared

Mai got up; she was fully awake now and giving Mako a puzzled look.

"How do you know my name? Have you been following me!" She asked.

Quickly, Mai reached under her chair and grabbed her cards and duel disk, she was planning on grabbing these items and leaving very fast but this plan would be halted as swiftly as it was formed.

Out of nowhere a huge wave swept through the pool and sitting area nearby. It gathered up everything and everyone it hit. People panicked and ran in blind fear of being swept away by the rushing waters. Mai was taken by the wave, but was soon dropped along with her disc and her deck.

Other than swallowing almost half a gallon of chlorinated water (and almost drowning) Mai was fine. She had landed on a floating platform in the deep end of the regular swimming pool. Coughing up a little water,she got to her knees and picked up her dueling equipment.

Suddenly, A column of water shot out of the pool near the platform! The column struck down on top of the floating square and then cleared away, revealin Mako with a smug smirk on his face.

"Wait a minute…" Mai said, "I've heard of you, and now I know how you heard of me. You competed in Duelist Kingdom and Battle City. I've seen your name in the ranking list."

Mako laughed a little.

"Yes, that's me. My reputation must be growing." He said proudly.

Mai scowled.

"What reputation, you were trashed by Yugi and Joey in the tournaments. You've never even made it to the finals of any major tournament I've seen you in." She pointed out.

Mako frowned, but then held out one arm. A sphere of water wrapped around it, and when it cleared away a duel disk already loaded with cards appeared, ready for action.

"You obviously weren't informed of the Great Elemental Tournament then Mai." Mako smirked, "But no matter, I came here to duel you and you have no choice but to accept. After all, you saw that tidal wave I whipped up…"

Mako's threat hung in the air. A small blue light began to shimmer from a strange piece of jewelry around his right ankle.

Mai gave a smirk of confidence.

"Oh so that's how you want to do this." She said, inserting her deck into her duel disc and getting to her feet.

Mai and Mako both drew five cards.

Mako grinned from ear to ear as he gazed upon his opening hand. Mai however was just staring at Mako and growing more impatient.

"Since you're being so quiet I'm guessing that I can go first." She assumed

Mai LP: 8000

Mako LP: 8000

Mai drew her sixth card and smiled.

"I'll lay these two cards face down and summon my Cyber Harpy Lady (1800/1300) in attack mode! That's all."

Mai's favorite monster, a beautiful woman with wings and black body armor, appeared ready to protect her controller's life points.

"A typical move for you Mai." Mako stated, "Let me guess, your face down cards are probably meant to protect that pathetic song bird. Well I have bad news for you, I'm going to summon my Amphibious Burgoth MK II (1500/1000) and activate a spell that will remove any chance of your victory. Behold my ELEMENTAL SEAL OF WATER!"

First, a large red submarine appeared in front of Mako, as monsters typically do. Then, something completely new (at least to Mai) happened.

Now a series of blue wavy lines materialized on the field between Mai and Mako and a similar pattern etched itself across the ocean duelist's body. At the same time a blue circle with strange symbols was being carved into the platform around them and finally a huge wall of water shot up around the duel.

Mako began to laugh as his eyes seemed to fill halfway with blue liquid, while Mai shivered a little.

"_No…this looks like…"_ Mai couldn't bear to finish that thought, _"I don't want to find out what will happen if I lose in this, but I can already tell it won't be good."_

"Now let me show you the full power of water Ms. Valentine! As long as my seal remains in play all of my creatures of water gain an extra 200 attack points and their star level is reduced to one."

Mako's large red submarine was quickly covered with the same blue marks as its master.

Finally, Mako held up two more cards.

"Now before I attack I think I'll lay one card face down and use this spell called Rename. It lets me change the name of one card on the field to any name I want as long as I give up one-fourth of my life points and remove a card in my hand, deck or graveyard from play."

A facedown card appeared behind the submarine, followed by a new card. The card showed a small goblin, preparing to take notes. The picture on the card came to life and the goblin jumped out of the card, holding up a pen and paper while looking up at Mako.

Mai LP: 8000

Mako LP: 6000

"So what!" Mai shouted, "You just lost 2000 LP and for what! You get to name one of your cards after yourself?"

Mako smirked.

"It doesn't work like that. The target card gets the name of the one that I removed, so I'm changing the name of the Elemental Seal of Water to 'Umi'. That way I can use the special ability of my Burgoth (1700/1000)!"

The goblin nodded, quickly writing "UMI" down on the paper and slapping the label onto the center of the field.

"Special ability?" Mai asked.

"As long as a card named 'Umi' is on the field, my monster can attack your LP directly." Mako explained, "So Burgoth, attack with Torpedo Barrage!"

Mako's submarine now lowered its cannon, aiming it directly at Mai, and fired a series of torpedoes toward her. Mai held up her left arm, using her duel disk as a shield, but nothing could stop the loss of life points as the attack exploded around her.

Mai LP: 6300

Mako LP: 6000

Mai winced from the pain.

"_That felt pretty realistic."_ She thought, _"Something tells me this guy isn't kidding around."_

Mai drew her next card and smiled as she looked at it.

"You really should have destroyed my Cyber Harpy when you had the chance!" She yelled, "Now I activate the spell card Elegant Egotist! This simple little spell lets me summon one of my best monsters."

Mai's Harpy began to glow and three new Harpy Lady's split away from her, grouping together on the next available spot.

Mai smiled. "Behold my Harpy Lady Sisters (1950/2100). Now prepare to lose beach bum. My Harpies will tear that toy sub apart!"

Mako shook his head as his facedown card turned over.

"Oh no they won't. I activate my face down card: Gravity Bind." He declared

A blue-green grid appeared over the field, forcing Mai's beasts to their collective knees.

Mai shot a look of rage at her opponent.

"What did you do to my monsters?" She shouted

Mako laughed and pointed to his card.

"It's very simple. Gravity Bind keeps all monsters that are level four or higher from attacking. Of course, my monsters are safe because, thanks to the Seal of Water, they're all level one."

Mai glared at the ocean duelist.

"It will take more than one lucky move to beat me!" She announced.

"One lucky move!"

Mako just laughed.

"Face it Valentine: none of your monsters can attack thanks to gravity bind, and my monsters are immune to it because when I play them they become level one! You can't attack, and my Burgoth can just keep witling away at your LP."

Mako began to laugh again, this time with a maniacal undertone.

"You have no monsters that can attack, no way to protect your LP, and no hope of victory!"

"_It's a little early in the game to be saying that."_ Mai thought as she looked at the monster on the far right of her hand.

"So your card stops level four or higher monsters huh? Then I think it's time to try out this new trap card I got. Say hello to Level Conversion Lab!" She called out.

A huge tank of water with a complex computer attached to it appeared on the field and Mai smiled as a large red dragon with black feathers around its eyes appeared inside the tank.

Mako's jaw dropped at the site of this, "What do you think you're doing?" He asked.

Mai just smirked.

"I suppose I should explain. Level Conversion Lab will randomly change the level of one monster in my hand, in this case my Harpy's Pet Dragon (2000/1000), to a new level between 2 and 6 for one turn depending on what I roll on one die. If the result is one, then my dragon is destroyed, but I'd say the odds are in my favor."

"This seems like something Joey Wheeler would do." Mako commented.

"_He has a point there."_ Mai thought, _"But I something just drew me to this card."_

An electronic die appeared on the computer screen and began to randomly change from one face to another before settling on 3.

"Now my dragon is a level three monster so I can summon it this turn! Come on out my precious pet!" Mai ordered

The tank of water burst open, revealing a soaking wet and thoroughly pissed dragon, which the Cyber Harpy began to comfort.

"Of course my dragon gets an extra 300 attack for each Harpy Lady on the field. And since it's level three it's immune to your Gravity Bind! Harpy's Pet Dragon (2300/1000) attack that rusted tin can with firestorm tornado!"

A huge blast of wind and fire launched from the beast's mouth and Mako's Burgoth (1700/1000) was reduced to a pile of scrap metal and the resulting explosion sent shards of iron and glass right toward the water duelist, creating a series of cuts over his body.

Mai LP: 6300

Mako LP: 5400

Mako glared at Mai.

"Okay, nice move. Too bad that once you end you're turn that dragon is going to be a level seven monster, so my Gravity Bind will keep it from attacking again." He taunted.

"That's what you think bottom feeder! I activate my other face down card: Harpy's Leash!" Mai announced as the card turned over.

"Wait, you mean you played those just to get your dragon out!" Mako shouted

"It used to be a bit of a problem for me, but these cards make things much easier." Mai explained

The dragon immediately gained a golden chain attached to the collar around its neck. Cyber Harpy stepped forward and took hold of the chain and the beast let out a soothing, purring sound.

"Now then, this spell I just used can only work on Harpy's sweet little dragon, and it keeps it from getting into trouble by keeping its attack, defense, type, attribute, and level from changing as long as there is a monster named 'Harpy Lady' on the field. That means that even though I end my turn here, my dragon will stay a three star monster since my Cyber Harpy gets treated just like a Harpy Lady." Mai explained.

"Which means Gravity Bind won't affect it." Mako grumbled as he drew his next card.

Then a smile crept across his face as he held up his new card.

"I activate Card of Sanctity so draw your cards." He shouted.

Mako and Mai each drew until they held six cards in their hands.

Once more Mako started laughing.

"Time for you to see what a big mistake it was to challenge me!"

Mai stared at Mako, confused.

"Um… excuse me? You're the one that challenged me!" She pointed out

Mako blinked and glared at his foe, then shook his head.

"That's not the point! The point is, you're going to lose and your dueling talent is going to be sealed inside my crystal of water!"

Mai shook her head.

"Mako, listen. I think this seal is affecting your mind some…"

Mako, obviously not listening, cut her off as he held up another card.

"Now is the time to call forth my ultimate monster! I activate Raising of the Water Master and give up two monsters from my hand whose total level is eight, in this case Mermaid Knight and Gagagigo, to summon: WATER MASTER---HYDROS (2700/2000)!"

A new card materialized on the field, this one depicting an ancient throne with a mermaid swimming in front of it, her hands raised up as if she were calling for someone. The faint images of two monsters suddenly jumped into the card, which sank into the ground. Just then a huge, mother-of-pearl throne appeared in front of Mako and a giant man with a scaly, blue fish tail emerged from the wall of water around the field and took a seat on the throne.

Mako began his maniacal laughter once more.

"Now face your doom Mai! Water Master Hydros! Attack that Cyber Harpy (1800/1300) with Waltz of Waves!"

A humongous blast of water shot from the wall surrounding the field and washed away the helpless bird woman and the remainder of the spray slapped and stung Mai.

"_No!"_ Mai thought, _"If I don't have a Harpy Lady on the field I lose my leash!"_

Mai could only watch helplessly, however, as the golden chain around the pet dragon shattered into millions of golden shards.

Mai LP: 5400

Mako LP: 5400

Mako smiled as Mai's dragon (2000/1000) began to growl and the blue-green grid formed over its head.

"Now that I've taken care of that harpy, that dragon will be paralyzed like it's supposed to be. And soon your life points will be easy pickings for me and my ultimate lord of the ocean!"

Mai stared up at her opponent's water master (2700/2000) and winced as she drew her next card.

_"I don't have a single monster that can match that beast! I'll have to play it safe for a while." _She thought.

Mai quickly shifted the positions of the cards on her disk, from vertical to horizontal.

"I switch my remaining monsters into defense mode. That's all." Mai declared dropping a spare card from her hand to bring her hand down to six cards.

Mako laughed as he drew another card and pointed toward the Harpy Lady Sisters (1950/2100).

"Time to clear away a few more pesky birds. Hydros wipe the floor with the sisters!"

Hydros waved his hand and another spray of salt water smashed the Harpy sisters and further angered Harpy's Pet Dragon (2000/1000).

Mako smiled, "Oh dear. It seems that Ms. Valentine's little dragon doesn't like that his friends got washed away. Well get used to it because you're next!"

Mai drew a new card.

"That's what you think bait breath! I activate Heavy Storm to wipe out every spell and trap on the field. Including Gravity Bind and this stupid seal!" She shouted

A huge tornado blasted up around the field, but as it dropped Mai found that the blue circle and wall of water still surrounded her.

"Hey what's the big idea?" Mai yelled.

Mako had a look of relief on his face as he gestured toward his field spell.

"I had almost forgotten. The seal can't be destroyed until I want to destroy it. Tough luck, I guess you'll just have to think of something else!"

"_Drat that proves it!"_ Mai thought, _"Well I'm not going to let this get the better of me."_

"Fine then!" Mai growled as a large bruise appeared on her right shoulder, "I'll activate Premature Burial to call back Cyber Harpy Lady (1800/1300) and then activate my second Elegant Egotist to bring in another Harpy Lady Sisters (1950/2100)!"

Mai's dragon (2300/1000) roared in delight as his masters returned and turned its gaze on Mako.

"You're creatures still can't beat Hydros!" Mako shouted.

"Normally no, which is why I'm activating my Triangle Ecstasy Spark, which will raise the attack of my Harpy Sisters to 2700 for one turn!" Mai called out.

The trio of bird women let out a screech as they clustered together and an orb of electricity formed between them. Then Mai held up one more card.

"And now for the spell Follow Wind to raise the Harpy Sisters (3000/2100) by an additional 300 attack points! Now Harpies, attack Hydros with Triangle Ecstasy Blast!"

The Harpy trio joined together and launched a blast of electricity straight at Hydros, who let out a shout as he burst apart.

"And now my remaining monsters will attack you directly! Go!" Mai ordered.

Mako screamed as Mai's remaining monsters flew forward. Both creatures were posed to slam Mako with their taloned appendages, when a wall of water shot up around him absorbing the blows. The creatures flew back, confused, and Mako reappeared, looking thoroughly exhausted and terrified as his LP counter ticked down.

Mai LP: 4600

Mako LP: 700

Mai smiled.

"That's all for my turn fish boy." She said.

Mako drew his next card and smiled.

"Time for me to lay one card face down and play my Level Limit Area B spell card! Now all monsters that are level four or higher have to go to defense mode. That's all."

Mai's monsters all shuddered and fell to the ground, rendered harmless by a wave of magic that emanated from Mako's card

Mai drew her card and Mako's face down card flipped up. A tide washed over Mako's half of the field as his water master (2700/2000) returned!

"What the…" Mai shouted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted to return my monster to the field." Mako announced.

Mai glared at the beast and held up a card.

"Well, I'll at least take care of that annoying Level Limit card with De-spell!" She announced.

Mako just laughed as his limiter vanished in a pulse of magical energy.

"De-spell! That isn't going to help Mai! Hydros is far too powerful!"

Mai slid one more card into her disk.

"I lay this face down and end my turn." She stated.

As Mako picked up his next card a terrifying grin spread across his face.

"You're in for it now Mai! I'll activate the Pot of Greed to draw two more cards."

Mako drew and began to laugh maniacally.

"And now I discard one card to play Lightning Vortex to destroy every face up monster that you control!"

A huge lightning storm began to crackle above the duel! Suddenly a blast of lightning shot down to Mai's half of the field.

"No!" Mai shouted as her monsters vanished in a burst of electricity.

Mako smiled as he held up another card from his hand.

"Now for Megamorph and the end of this duel. Since I have the fewest life points, it will double the original attack of whatever I equip it to, so I'll give it to my water master! Hydros (5200/2000) strike her down!"

Hydros laughed as he took a strange brown pendant and put it around his neck. Immediately, Hydros began to change.

A huge dorsal fin shot out of his back, and his mouth began to fill with rows of sharp teeth like a shark's. The monster roared as claws sprouted from his finger tips and his powerful tail turned from a scaly texture to one more like sandpaper.

The transformed beast let out a horrible noise that sounded like a mix between a laugh and a growl as he fired a blast of water right at Mai.

Suddenly Mai's face down card turned over.

"I'm not out yet beach bum! I activate A Hero Emerges. Now pick one card from my hand and if it's a monster I get to special summon it!" She shouted

Mako looked over the two cards in his opponent's hand.

"Fine, I'll choose the left card." He declared.

Mai smiled.

"Good, because you just picked my second Cyber Harpy (1800/1300)!" She announced, "So I'll summon her in attack mode!"

The monster materialized in front of Mai and let out a screech as it was immediately washed away by Hydros. Mai braced herself as the remainder of the water blast struck her, almost knocking her off of the platform.

Mai LP: 1200

Mako LP: 700

Mako laughed.

"You summoned it in attack mode! How idiotic! What was the point of that?" He laughed.

Mai grinned as she drew her next card.

"You'll see soon enough. I use Pot of Greed." She explained

Mai pulled two cards off of her disk then placed one in her disk. A strange light began to cover the field, and Mai's graveyard began to glow.

"Now I activate Soul Charge to bring back my Cyber Harpy (1800/1300) and Harpy's Pet Dragon (2300/1000) at the cost of 500 LP each!" She announced.

The two creatures appeared looking mild ticked off that they had been destroyed so many times and the bruise on Mai's shoulder expanded

Mai LP: 200

Mako LP: 700

Mako shook his head in confusion.

"Wait a minute, I don't get it. I have the strongest monster on the field and now, thanks to that spell, I have more LP..."

A sudden look of realization crossed the ocean duelist's face as his Hydros (1450/2000) groaned and returned to his original form! What's more, he began to shrink in size until he was about half his original height.

"Oh crud!" Mako shouted, "I forgot, when I have more LP Megamorph cuts the attack of the monster it's attached to in half!"

Mai smiled.

"That's right, lucky for you Soul Charge keeps the monsters that I just summoned from attacking. So I'll just lay one card down and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared in front of Mai and her dragon and harpy both glared at Mako.

Mako was shuddering from fear as he drew, but he sighed with relief as he saw his new card.

"Time to say goodbye Mai. I activate Ocean of Regeneration to bring back my Amphibious Burgoth MK III (1700/1000) for one turn. And because my seal is still called Umi it can attack you directly so this duel is over!"

A pool of water appeared next to Hydros, out of which burst the red submarine which began to take aim at Mai.

Suddenly, Mai's face down card turned over and a huge ball of snakes with a single, glowing eye in the center of them rose out of the ground.

"You're right Mako, this duel is over. Unfortunately for you I've won! I've activated Gorgon's Eye which causes all monsters on the field to lose their special abilities for one turn!" Mai announced.

Immediately, Burgoth's cannon turned to solid stone and stopped where it was, just a few degrees away from hitting Mai.

Mako looked frantically over the field and at his one remaining hand card (A Legendary Ocean) trying to find a way out of this situation, and then realizing there was none.

Mai smiled. "Looks like you don't have any cards that can help you. And your Burgoth disappears once you end your turn."

Mako began to shake with fear as the crystal in his anklet glowed with a brilliant blue light. Mai's dragon (2300/1000) let out a roar while the Cyber Harpy (1800/1300) spread her wings and let out a screech to celebrate her impending victory.

"So," Mai smirked, "do you give up yet?"

Mako stared up at the dragon, then the harpy, then both his monsters, and finally looked Mai in the eye.

"Yes." He declared, holding one hand over his deck.

The water around the field began to move toward Mako as he held his hand over his deck.

Mai LP: 200

Mako LP: FORFEIT

"_I didn't think he'd actually surrender!"_ Mai said to herself.

"D…d…darn y…y…you Mai!" Stuttered Mako as the seal of water began to close in on him, "My lord isn't going to be happy about this!"

Mako's entire body was shaking and, despite her shock at the sudden win, Mai could tell that he was shivering from fear.

Mai wanted to say something, but she was still in shock, she had never won by forfeit before. She was not at all happy with the cold feeling it left in her stomach

"_Memo to self, never forfeit. It's not worth it. And don't make a habit out of winning this way"_ She thought.

Then a horrid look of realization crossed her face.

"_Wait a minute, I won so what happens to him?"_ She asked herself, _"If this seal acts like the last one I encountered then…"_

An image of Joey falling to the ground unconscious passed through her mind. Finally finding her voice again, Mai looked at her opponent.

"Mako I'm…" She started.

But before she could finish Mako stamped his right foot on the ground. Immediately, the wall of water surrounding the field fell away, crashing back into the pool around them and absolutely soaking Mai. Mai spat out a mouthful of water, and looked up to see Mako was gone.

Sighing, Mai checked to make sure her cards and disk were undamaged and then held them over her head as she eased into the pool. As she carefully kicked her way over to the edge to climb out she tried to think of a plan to handle this sudden attack, but could only come up with one.

Climbing out of the pool, Mai headed back to the locker she had rented for the day where she left her cell phone.

"There's only one person to call when it comes to dealing with weird duelists." She muttered as she opened the locker.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

About fifteen minutes later, Mako popped out of an underground water pipeline.

"_Okay, that's the last time I'm doing that!"_ He thought as he swam to the surface.

Looking around near the surface, he could see that he had come out near the Domino City docks. Sighing with relief his crystal's light extinguished and he slowly floated down as deep as he could go. He just floated in the water, watching the fish come and go feeling the tension from his duel ease away. When suddenly a ball of green light popped into view in front of him.

"_Would ye mind telling me what exactly happened there?"_ A voice echoed through Mako's mind, _"I could have sworn you were a competent duelist. What with you being in professional dueling tourneys before, but I must be mistaken. Ye had one of the easier targets and ye messed up! The wee lass Zeffie did better than yew, and yer supposed to have the most experience at this game. What do you have to say to yerself?" _

It was clear to Mako that this was a very angry voice, and he gulped involuntarily.

"_I apologize my lord."_ He thought, _"I guess I just wasn't feeling like myself. I realize that I could have done better…"_

"_Well then we'll just have to cover this in more detail when all of you report back." _The voice interrupted, _"After all, we're still one member short."_

"_Someone else hasn't engaged their target yet?" _Mako asked, "_I thought I was going to be the last one!"_

"_The final member of our little team has yet to challenge the target."_ The voice explained, _"But on the other hand this is one of the most important ones, so they must be taking their time for a reason. Now, report back ASAP so we can prepare for later."_

The light disappeared leaving Mako alone. Mako sighed and his body turned as clear as the water around him as he began to swiftly flow away.

"_Well, at least he didn't seem _too _angry."_ Mako thought.

_Some wild ride, eh folks? And the fun isn't over yet. In our next chapter, the final target and the final elemental duelist will be revealed! Prepare yourself for our next chapter_

_True Colors_

_See ya then._

Original Cards

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Soul Charge

Spell Card

You may special summon up to five monsters from your graveyard to the field at the cost of 500 life points each. Monsters special summoned in this way will be unable to attack in the same turn they are summoned.

This card was first used on the show by Raphael in the episode "Grappling with a Guardian part 3." All creative credit for this card goes to the writers of that episode.

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Elemental Seal of Water

Spell Card

Field

Image of a blue circle surrounded by strange blue symbols. A series of blue wavy lines is in the center of it.

This card cannot be removed from the field. As long as this card remains on the field, increase the attack of all WATER monsters on your side of the field by 200 points. The controller of this card may treat all monsters on his/her side of the field as WATER monsters. All water monsters on your side of the field are treated as though they are level one.

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Rename

Spell

Image of a Goblin Calligrapher holding up a pen and paper as though he was ready to take notes.

Pay one-quarter of your life points, and remove one card in your deck, hand, or graveyard from play. Treat any one card on the field as though it had the same name as the removed card (but none of the effects of the removed card). This effect lasts so long as the renamed card remains on the field.

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Raising of the Water Master

Spell Card

Ritual

Image of a mermaid swimming in front of a huge mother-of-pearl throne. Her arms are raised as though she is calling to someone.

This spell may be used to summon "Water Master-Hydros" by sacrificing monsters from your hand or field whose total level stars equal eight or more.

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Water Master-Hydros

Monster

WATER

Aqua

Ritual/Effect

2500/2000

A huge merman sitting on a gigantic throne.

This monster can only be summoned by using "Raising of the Water Master" and by sacrificing monsters from your hand or field whose total level stars equal eight or more.

_Surprise note: you haven't seen the last of this card, or all of what it can do. Look forward to learning it's last power in a later chapter!_

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Harpy's Leash

Spell Card

Equipment

Image of a golden collar with a golden chain attached to it.

This Card can only be equipped to "Harpy's Pet Dragon". If you do not have a "Harpy Lady" face up on your side of the field, destroy this card. As long as this card remains face up on the field, the monster equipped with it can not change its attack, defense, level, attribute, or type from what they were when this card was activated.

A/N: Happy New Year! Our resolution: To get more reviews! Please help us keep it.


	8. True Colors

Disclaimer: Happy New Year! We managed to keep the resolution to get some more reviews, but we failed to keep the resolution to get the rights to Yu-Gi-Oh. Oh well…All original cards and characters belong to us, everything else belongs to the creators of the show and card game (for now).

A/N: Thank you to all of our loyal readers and reviewers! Sorry we're posting a little later than we normally do, but it has been a crazy day. Enjoy the new chapter, the first one of 2006! Woot!

A/N: Boring plot stuff ahead, please read any way. Important to the story.

_Previously:_

_Mai had a run in with an old friend of the Yugi team: Mako Tsunami! Unfortunately, the ocean duelist had joined the side of evil! Mai pulled off a victory (barely) and now we return to Domino City for our next exciting chapter!_

**Chapter 7**

**True Colors**

Joey, Serenity, and Celeste all arrived at the Kami Game Shop at roughly 5:00 pm. Yugi met them at the door wearing his school uniform, as he always did, and the Millennium Puzzle around his neck. His hair was still spiked up, helping to decrease the difference between his height and Joey's.

"Hi Joey." Yugi said, "I thought you were going to be here sooner. What kept you?"

"Sorry," Joey explained, "It took a little longer than I expected to get here. First I had to clean all that stuff from the bottom of the bat cave off my shoes, then I had to convince my mom to let Serenity stay a little longer, since she refused to leave until she knew there was a plan to keep me from taking any more sudden falls."

"Oh." Yugi said, "Well come on in."

Joey and Serenity walked in without hesitation. Celeste followed behind them and Yugi glanced at the new girl and then looked toward Joey.

"Oh Yug, this is Celeste. She looked after Serenity while I was in the bat exhibit." Joey explained

Celeste blushed a bit.

"It was nothing really, just what anyone would have done." She muttered

"Well, any friend of Joey's is a friend of mine." Yugi explained, "Come on, Tristan and Tea are already waiting upstairs."

The group went inside and up to Yugi's room over the store (Grandpa was busy checking the stock room in back) where Tristan and Tea were waiting.

Tristan was wearing his usual brown jacket and blue jeans; he smoothed his brown hair out a little and flashed a smile to Serenity as she entered.

Tea was in her blue denim vest and skirt; she smiled as she saw Joey and Serenity, then looked confused as Celeste entered.

"Sorry," Yugi apologized, "Tristan, Tea, this is Celeste. Celeste, this is Tristan and Tea.

"Alright Yugi." Tristan sighed, "We're all here, given that Duke Devlin is on a business trip in San Francisco and Bakura is studying for finals. Now what did Joey do this time that required us all to meet here _again_?"

Serenity and Celeste took seats on floor (Tristan tried to move next to Serenity but Tea pulled him back to her side) as Joey retold his tale about his visit to the zoo. He was just about finished when the phone began to ring.

Yugi picked it up.

"Hello, Kami Game Shop. How can I help you?" He greeted.

Yugi was silent for a minute, then a huge smile broke onto his face.

"Oh hey Mai! What's up... uh Mako Tsunami? Yeah... yeah... I know him. He's a pretty good guy...wait he what!"

Yugi's smile faded, and the others, who had been whispering excitedly about the reason Mai may have called, leaned in close to try and hear what Mai was saying.

"Did you just say he attacked you using something called the Elemental Seal of Water? Well who won? He forfeited? Now that can't be the same Mako I know, the Mako I know would never surrender!"

Yugi paused as though listening to Mai list off something.

"Well it sounds like Mako, but that's still hard to believe."

Just then the phone made a beeping noise.

"Look Mai, can you call back in a little while, there is some one on the other line. OK then in a half hour, thanks."

Yugi quickly switched the line over.

"Hello, Kami Game Shop... Kaiba? Why are you calling me... yes this phone has a speaker option."

Yugi pressed a button on the phone and a slight beeping could be heard over the speaker.

"Is that a heart monitor?" Tea whispered.

"Sounds like one." Tristan whispered back.

"The gang is all here Kaiba so what do you need?" Yugi asked.

The young CEO cleared his throat.

"I was just on the phone with Ishizu Ishtar. She didn't have your number and asked me to contact you on her behalf. Apparently, a strange pair of duelists using something called the seals of wind and earth attacked her and her brother. And I was recently attacked by some punk just this afternoon!"

Yugi looked worried. Glancing over at Joey, he could see that his friend was now paying attention to the young CEO.

"Maybe I should take it from here. You need your rest Seto." Mokuba's voice broke in.

"What happened?" Yugi and Joey asked at the same time.

Celeste and the others leaned in to hear the phone better.

"Earlier this afternoon," Mokuba explained, "My brother was attacked by some weird kid with red hair, a deck full of fire monsters, and, you guys won't believe this, pyrokinesis!"

"Pyroki-whatsis?" Joey asked.

"It means control over fire." Tea sighed, "Some people actually pay attention in Latin class. Pyro means fire, and Kinesis means movement."

"Right." Mokuba said, "Anyway, this kid breaks in, does major damage to our office building, and challenges Seto to a duel. Get this though, Seto actually _loses _and winds up hospitalized!"

"Whoa, seriously?" Tristan exclaimed, "Just like that?"

"Not really," Mokuba continued, "Seto told me his opponent used something called the 'Elemental Seal of Fire' and the attacker took something from Seto after the duel."

"What did he take?" Yugi asked.

"We haven't figure that out at yet. But afterwards, when Seto recovered after the duel, we had a little duel here at the hospital (at Seto's request), and I won no problem!"

"I didn't know you still dueled." Yugi commented, as he remembered Duelist Kingdom.

"That's the problem. I'm nowhere near as good as Seto! Whatever happened to him, Seto is now even worse than Joey was when he first started playing Duel Monsters!" Mokuba fretted.

"Correction," Seto's voice broke in, "No one could ever be as poor a duelist as Wheeler at any point in his dueling career."

"Oh yeah!" Joey shouted, "Then how come I managed to beat the freak that came after me?"

"Dumb luck, as usual." Seto explained.

"IF YOU WEREN'T ALREADY IN THE HOSPITAL I'D PUT YOU THERE MYSELF!" Joey shouted

As Tristan and Tea worked to restrain Joey, while Serenity and Celeste had a good laugh at the sudden outburst, Yugi turned off the speakerphone and picked up the receiver again.

"Was any one else hurt?" Yugi asked.

He was silent for a second as Kaiba answered.

"No, good. Now listen, Joey and Mai were attacked also, by Mako and some new kid named Brian, and I think there might be a connection. If you like we could compare info by meeting somewhere after school tomorrow. Maybe we can figure out just what is going on here... of course you don't have to believe in any magic or stuff like that... yes I'm sure your capable of handling this yourself, but... what if they attack again and Mokuba gets hurt?"

There was silence for another minute.

"OK at your research facility downtown tomorrow? The day after? Why...oh Ishizu is coming to town? But why? So Marik wont get hurt anymore what hap..."

Another moment of silence.

"I'm putting you back on speaker. The others should hear this."

Yugi hit the speaker button and Seto's voice filled the room.

"Well, yes, it seems both Marik and I lost to these duelists. As you heard my brother say, I'm not dueling at my best. However I've been dueling for the past hour and I seem to be showing very little improvement, though considering how good I was before, it will take a long time to get close to a fraction of my former ability. Maybe if the mutt were out of commission instead…"

Joey gritted his teeth.

"I dare you to finish that sentence." He growled

Serenity grabbed his arm and stopped him from trying to smash the phone. He took some deep breaths to calm down.

Joey looked up at Yugi.

"Since when do we owe Kaiba any favors?" He asked.

"Joey makes a good point." Tea said, "Last I checked, Kaiba was still out to beat you Yugi."

"He might be faking a loss just to trap you!" Tristan warned.

Yugi shook his head.

"I don't think Kaiba would go that far guys. Granted he's been pretty sneaky and conniving in the past, but faking a loss just to get to me isn't his style."

"I can still hear you." Seto grumbled, "And like I told you before, we can meet at my research facility, seeing as my office is being refurbished. Once we know what we're dealing with, we should be able to put a stop to this. After all, these duelists can't be that good. I checked the list of Battle City duelists and there are no records of the ones that attacked the Ishtars or me, though I could check on the other two. In any case, I'll see the lot of you in two days."

With that, Seto hung up leaving the group just staring at each other

Suddenly Joey sat up and looked at Celeste

"What was it you said about _underground_ tournaments back at my house? I've never heard of those."

The rest of the group looked at the new girl who had been sitting quietly this whole time.

She looked up slowly.

"It's pretty simple to understand. Underground tourneys are often held by private card shops that want to see what local duelists are using. For instance if 70 of your local customers use Spellcasters then if you keep a good stock of Spellcasters and related cards your more likely to do good business." Celeste said in a soft voice as she stared at the floor, "There are also a lot of really good duelists who don't want to turn pro that will attend. That way they can duel and avoid attention."

"Then maybe these attackers have been going to these tournaments." Tea theorized, "That would explain why Kaiba wouldn't recognize them."

"Or it could just be that Kaiba is a conceited jerk." Tristan pointed out.

"You know, I always thought underground tournaments were the sorts of tourneys that punks or bullies would go to just to play with an ante rule when no ones around." Joey stated.

Celeste seemed greatly offended.

"Well some people do that, but most underground tournaments are just harmless card shop games. I'm glad to say I don't participate in any of those back-alley tournaments!" She huffed.

Everyone sat around for a minute or two until Yugi spoke up.

"Ummmm…OK, I hate to say it but there's nothing else we can do here. So why don't we split until school tomorrow. I'll tell Mai about the meeting when she calls back, and maybe you can meet us after school Celeste." He said.

"That won't be necessary." Celeste grinned, "You go to Domino City High, right?"

"Yes." Yugi stated.

"Well, I'm going to be attending it to!" Celeste said with a smile, "I might see you guys there, and maybe we can duel Yugi."

Tea opened her mouth to speak when Joey cut her off.

"Wait, you're going to our school?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm sort of here on a summer exchange program." Celeste explained, "I take Japanese as a second language back home and my teachers agreed to let me come here and attend school as part of the student exchange program."

"Wow, that's awesome!" Yugi cheered, "You're so good at Japanese I never would have guessed you came from another country!"

"Yeah, it's a great program." Celeste said glancing at the clock, "Whoa, look at the time! Sorry, I have to go. I told my group I'd meet them around 5:30 and now I got to go or I'll be late!"

"I think we'd all better call it a night." Yugi stated.

The others nodded in agreement and headed out the door.

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Later that evening, after dinner, Yugi was up in his room again, looking through his cards.

"_It would seem that trouble is beginning to brew."_ A voice echoed in Yugi's mind.

Yugi looked up from his deck, and smiled as he saw a taller version of himself, the spirit of the pharaoh (otherwise known as Yami) sitting in the chair by his desk.

"Looks like it partner." Yugi sighed, "And if these duelists have gone after Ishizu, Marik, Mai, Kaiba, and Joey, then chances are they'll be after me at some point."

"_Yes…"_ Yami agreed, _"But there appears to be some form of pattern behind the attacks."_

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked.

"_The five who have been attacked so far, do you realize what they all have in common?" _Yami queried.

Yugi thought for a minute, images of past matches involving those duelists flashing through his mind.

And then it dawned on him.

"They were all in the top eight at Battle City!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Yugi, keep it down!" Grandpa Mutoh shouted up the stairs, "I've got a lot of work to do!"

"Sorry!" Yugi shouted back.

"_But you're right."_ Yami pointed out, _"And I believe that the victims so far have been chosen because of Battle City."_

"But why attack Battle City finalists rather than contestants from the Grand Championship?" Yugi asked, "That was the last major tournament we participated in after that whole Orichalcos experience."

Yugi and Yami both shuddered. Neither of them wanted to remember how close they had come to meeting their end at the hands of Dartz and his Seal of Orichalcos. The Grand Championship that took place just a few weeks later had almost been as bad, with A Kaiba Corp. rival that few had ever heard of stepping up to try and overthrow the corporate giant.

Things had finally begun to calm down during the last several months. Yugi still could barely walk around in public without a pack of duelists trying to challenge him, but the hype had started to die down a little bit.

Yami was the first to stop reminiscing as he spoke up again.

"_It's possible,"_ He stated, _"That they aren't going after Grand Championship duelists because there were a few duelists, like Mai, whom Kaiba was unable to invite to the tournament._"

"Yeah!" Yugi exclaimed, "And Mako wasn't in that tournament either, but he was at Battle City. Maybe the reason he never showed up after Battle City was because he joined up with this new group."

"_Exactly."_ Yami declared, _"Possibly even competing in those underground tournaments Celeste mentioned."_

"Speaking of Celeste, what do you think of her?" Yugi asked.

"_I'm not sure."_ Yami said, _"To be honest, I sense something…odd about her."_

Yugi looked back down at his cards, and carefully put his deck into its holder on the nightstand.

"Well, she seems cool." Yugi stated, "But you're right, there's just something about her…"

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The next day, Yugi and the gang were hanging around in their third period history class, around Yugi's desk. Tea was sitting at the desk next to Yugi (despite the fact it wasn't her assigned seat), Tristan was standing next to Tea, and Bakura, wearing his school uniform and doing his best to keep his shoulder length white hair out of his eyes, was in his assigned chair in front of Yugi. Joey was in his science class down the hall, the one class he didn't share with his friends this semester.

The school year was drawing to a close, with final exams just around the corner, and the teachers had been pushing the students throughout the month. About five minutes of downtime between classes was all that Yugi and his friends had to talk.

"Sounds to me like they're after Battle City duelists." Bakura commented, after hearing about the meeting he had missed.

"That's what I thought." Yugi agreed.

"But then, why wouldn't they be after me?" Bakura asked.

"Well, you never officially signed up for the tournament, did you?" Tristan asked, "They probably figured you cheated your way in and weren't worth the effort to hunt down, or something like that."

"I guess…" Bakura started.

Then the teacher called their attention to the front of class.

"Excuse me class! I would like to introduce Miss Celeste Hikari. She will be studying here for a short while as part of a student exchange program from America."

Shocked, Yugi and the others looked up to the front of the room and were surprised to see their new friend standing there, wearing a pink and blue uniform like Tea's with her hair held in a bun by an elastic band.

"Hello everyone." She said with a shy smile.

The teacher looked around the class.

"Mr. Mutoh? That seat which Ms. Gardener is occupying at the moment doesn't have an assigned student, correct?" He asked.

"Ummm... yes sir." Stammered Yugi.

"Excellent! Miss Hikari please take the seat on the right of Mr. Mutoh. Ms. Gardener I believe you have an assigned seat next to Mr. Taylor, so would you sit there now." The teacher requested.

Tea opened her mouth to protest, but Tristan took her bye the arm and the two of them headed for their desks over by the window. Celeste walked over to Yugi and primly sat in her new seat, smoothing out her skirt and leaning a bit toward him.

"Some coincidence, eh Yugi?" Celeste mused, "I never expected us to have a class together!"

"I know what you mean." Yugi whispered, "Hey, you asked if we could duel sometime, how about at lunch?"

"Sounds great!" Celeste whispered.

Tea, in the meantime, was watching out of the corner of her eye.

"_Who does that Celeste think she is?_" She thought as she watched the girl flirt with Yugi.

"Tea, is something wrong?" asked Tristan

"It's nothing!" Tea snapped back.

"Okay, sheesh…" Tristan muttered as the teacher called the room to order.

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After history came math, one of the many classes that Yugi shared with all of his friends, including Joey. As before, Yugi and his friends were surprised (and in Tea's case slightly angered) to discover that Celeste shared this class with them!

"Pretty weird huh?" Celeste asked as she took the desk behind Joey.

"You sure you didn't plan it this way?" Joey whispered.

Celeste giggled a little.

"You don't need to worry about that Joey, I'm just as surprised at my luck as you are." She assured him.

As class got into full swing though, Celeste was beginning to wonder about her luck.

"_No matter where you go math is still boring."_ She said to herself.

Her train of thought was derailed as she looked at the shadow cast by Joey's desk.

Celeste gasped sharply as a hand began to reach out of the shadow! Closing her eyes, Celeste began to take deep breaths in order to keep from screaming.

"You okay?" Joey asked.

Celeste glanced under the desk and saw the hand had vanished.

"Fine," She whispered, "Just a headache."

"Alright then." Joey whispered.

And with that, he returned to trying to focus on taking notes without falling asleep like Celeste nearly had.

"_Jooooeeeey…"_ A sinister voice whispered.

Joey blinked in surprise, then glanced around the room. Seeing no one, he returned to his notes.

"_You're mine now Wheeler."_ The voice whispered again, _"Just look down here…"_

Joey gulped as he heard that, and carefully glanced under his desk…

Just in time to see the hand coming out of his shadows again and grab his ankle!

Joey screamed and jumped backward, falling over Celeste's desk and pitching them both to the floor.

The teacher looked up.

"Mr. Wheeler while I'm sure it's a major event for you to actually comprehend something, the rest of the class would like to learn, so if you would please stay in your seat, I could continue." She requested.

Gasping for breath, both Joey and Celeste got to their feet. Joey carefully checked under his desk, resulting in many snickers from his classmates, before sitting down.

Yugi looked over at his friend and caught his eye. Joey just adopted a look that said, _"We need to talk."_

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Down in the school's basement, Brian Hokage was pacing back and forth, muttering to himself.

"Well that was a bust." Brian muttered angrily, "I wouldn't have guessed Joey could escape my grip. And that scream ensured I can't try that again anytime soon…"

Suddenly an orb of yellow light appeared in front of him. It glimmered brightly, reflecting and refracting in an agitated manner.

" _I suppose that was your handy work? Don't bother denying it I saw the whole thing!"_ A voice echoed from the orb, _"You need to be more careful. You nearly ruined my cover!"_

The dark duelist focused his thoughts to complete the connection.

"_Look, we both have a job to do. Maybe you could hurry up a little, seeing as your target will not just hand you his talent."_ Brian retorted

"_Just make sure you and the others stay out of my way."_ The ball requested.

The ball began to fade and Brian broke his part of the connection.

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After class, Yugi and the others met in the hall outside of the classroom as they tried to calm Joey down (with little success).

"HOW CAN I POSSIBLY BE CALM !" Screamed Joey, "That freaky dark duelist is after me and he's nearby!

"Now just try and take some deep breaths." Tea suggested.

"Deep breaths…" Joey muttered, "Wait a minute, Celeste was breathing hardbefore I was attacked!"

Joey stared at Celeste.

"You saw it too, didn't you?" He accused.

Celeste backed away a bit.

"Yes I saw it." She admitted, "But things like this don't happen where I'm from, shadows stick to the ground and don't jump around like Peter Pan's does on a sugar high! I thought I was dreaming, math tends to make me do that."

"Well either way, we need…to…be…" Yugi began to explain.

Then he noticed a shadow hand reaching out of the floor from behind Joey.

"JOEY!" Yugi shouted.

Joey turned around and ducked, just as the top half of Brian's body came out of the shadow of the open classroom door.

"Hang on there Wheeler, we need to talk!" Yelled Brian.

Joey stepped back, away from the figure climbing out of the shadows, when suddenly a light bulb above Joey's head flared with brilliant light. Brian screamed as the shadow he came out of was dissipated, causing him to vanish, then the bulb shattered.

"What was that you were saying before?" Tristan asked as the shadow reappeared.

Brian began to climb out of the floor again, the crystal in his necklace shimmering with deep purple light.

"Forget what I said before. RUN!" Yugi shouted.

Yugi, Joey, Tea, Tristan, and Celeste all took off down the hall as fast as they could. Brian fully pulled himself out of the floor and started after them.

Bakura was left standing all by himself, watching as the others headed down the hall.

"So that was the duelist of darkness, eh?" Bakura muttered as a cruel grin appeared on his face, "How interesting…"

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Yugi and the others were continuing down the hall, trying to find somewhere to escape from Brian. The lights behind them were shattering as Brian passed under them, causing the hallway behind them to be clouded in shadows.

"Yugi? The cafeteria is on the left, right?" gasped Celeste as they approached an intersection.

"Yeah," Yugi confirmed, "but why…"

"Talk later." Celeste said quickly.

The teens turned left and reached the lunchroom in no time. Throwing open the doors, they ran inside (Joey pulling the doors closed behind them), and Celeste began to tip the tables onto their sides.

"Why is she…" Joey started to ask.

Suddenly the shadow of one of the tables began to move toward Joey.

"Watch out!" Tea shouted, running to the table and knocking it onto its side like Celeste had.

The shadow of the table was immediately dissipated by the fluorescent lights overhead.

"Oh, that's why." Joey said, eyes wide.

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Outside the cafeteria, Brian reached toward the door, but just as his hand closed on the handle a flash of light nearly blinded him and forced him back.

"OK, OK, I get it you want me to leave them alone. But once you engage your target I'm taking another crack at Joey." Brian muttered, "Best of luck to you…"

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It took about ten minutes, but Celeste and the others had managed to shadow-proof the cafeteria.

As Tea leaned back against one of the many upturned tables, taking a seat between Yugi and Tristan, she had to admit Celeste had come up with a good idea.

"_We should be safe till lunch."_ She thought as she began to doze off a little, _"Or until that dark guy finds a way in here…"_

"Hey Tea, try to stay awake!" Tristan shouted.

Tea jerked herself back into a sitting position.

"Sorry Tristan, I guess things got a little to exciting for me there." She blushed.

"Yeah, well, next time you doze off try to drool on your own shoulder." Tristan muttered as picked up a napkin and wiped it across his jacket.

Tea blushed a little, then looked around.

"Hey, where's Bakura?" She asked.

The others glanced around and realized that their white haired friend was missing.

"Well, we know these new duelists aren't after him, right?" Yugi asked.

"How can we be sure?" Tea countered, "That dark guy may have grabbed him!"

"I wouldn't worry." Celeste assured them, "From the sound of things these guys haven't tried to hurt anyone other than their intended targets."

"Besides, if anyone was their next target, it would be you Yug." Joey pointed out.

"You're right." Yugi sighed, "Now maybe we should try to figure out what else we know about these guys."

"Well, we know the one that came after me used dark monsters." Joey pointed out.

"Yeah," Tristan agreed, "And the didn't Mokuba say that the one that attacked Kaiba used fire monsters?

"And Kaiba mentioned Marik and Ishizu got attacked by some people using earth and wind!" Tea exclaimed.

"Plus Mai said Mako used the 'Seal of Water.'" Yugi nodded, "Earth, Dark, Fire, Wind and Water…Wait, those are all elements in Duel Monsters!"

The others nodded in agreement, then Tea looked up.

"Wait, I thought there were six elements in the game." She pointed out.

"That's true." Yugi said, "The last one is Light. So I guess, by process of elimination, I should face a duelist using creatures of light, and a seal to match."

Celeste, who had been completely silent, was listening intently but slowly backing up.

"So then where would the duelist of light be?" Joey asked.

Celeste suddenly spoke up.

"Why, where the light is brightest of course." She said.

Yugi and crew got to their feet just in time for a wall of light to push back Joey, Tea, Tristan, and a pile of tables.

Yugi stared at the person who had sent the light.

"Celeste! You mean that you're…" He stammered.

Celeste just smiled.

"The Elemental Duelist of Light, that's right." Celeste explained.

Yugi gasped as he and Celeste were both lifted up by platforms of light, like the old duel stations of Duelist Kingdom. In front of each of them appeared a dueling mat made from light, and circle of light surrounded the field, obscuring Yugi's view of the outside.

"Hey, you said we could duel during lunch. Would you like the first turn?" She asked.

Yugi just stared at the circle around him, to stunned to speak.

"I guess not." Celeste sighed as a sphere of light appeared in front of her and a deck of cards dropped onto her mat.

Yugi gasped as a hand made of light pulled his cards out of its holster near his waist and placed his deck in front of him. He hurriedly pulled five cards off his deck as Celeste drew six from hers.

Finally, numbers made of light appeared over both of them, indicating their life points.

Celeste LP: 8000

Yugi LP: 8000

Celeste smiled as she held up the six cards in her opening hand.

"Well, let's get started with this: the ELEMENT SEAL OF LIGHT!" Celeste declared.

In a burst of light, a yellow five-pointed star appeared on the ground between Yugi and Celeste. Yellow star shaped tattoos appeared on Celeste's body and her eyes began to glow with yellow light.

"Of course, the Seal of Light will increase the attack of my creatures of light by 200 points, so I'll summon White Ninja (1700/800) in attack mode." Celeste declared.

In a burst of light, a man dressed in a pure white ninja gi appeared in front of Celeste.

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Joey and the others were watching from the outside through the wall of light, which was giving everything a yellow tinge. Joey just shook his head.

"That move didn't make any sense White Ninja can only use its effect if it's flip summoned. So why would she open with it in attack mode?" He asked.

Tea looked on fearfully as Celeste held up a new card.

"I think we're about to find out." She muttered.

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A sudden blast of energy shot down around the White Ninja, transforming it into a cloud of vapor as Celeste placed her card on the field.

"What was that?" Yugi shouted.

"That was my Mystic Wok, which will destroy one monster that I control so that I can increase my life points by its attack points." Celeste explained, "And now I'll activate one of the powers of my Seal of Light. By discarding a monster from my hand, I'll increase my life points by half of the monsters attack points. I think I'll discard The Creator Incarnate (1600/1500)."

Celeste pulled a card out of her hand and placed it in the graveyard pile, on top of her ninja and her spell. Immediately, a ghostly image of a man in golden armor appeared and dissolved into sparks which swooped around Celeste, increasing her life points alongside the Mystic Wok's vapors

Celeste LP: 10500

Yugi LP: 8000

Yugi just stared at the swirling vapors and sparks with an appalled look on his face. In a bright flash of light from his Millennium Puzzle the appalled expression was replaced by one of justified anger as Yami took control.

"You needlessly sacrifice your own monsters just to increase your life points!" Yami fumed, "How dare you disrespect your cards in such a manner!"

"_Excellent!"_ Thought Celeste, _"It seems that my master was right. This must be the soul of the great pharaoh, the one who originally sealed the Shadow Games. Best not to let him know that I know…"_

Celeste grinned and responded to angered ruler.

"Not just to increase my life points Yugi." She explained, "I'll now remove both of the monsters in my graveyard from play to special summon Soul of Purity and Light (2200/1800)."

Celeste took two cards off of the graveyard area of her mat, and placed them to the side. Behind her appeared a silvery female spirit, which wrapped its arms around the elemental duelist's shoulders as it was covered in yellow stars.

"Now I'll end my turn by playing the Pot of Greed." Celeste declared as she placed the common spell into her grave and drew two new cards.

Yami drew his first card of the duel.

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Tea in the mean time was staring at Celeste's monster.

"Uh… I think that there's something wrong with that Soul of Purity and Light Celeste has. It looks… a lot meaner than the one I have." Tea observed.

Indeed, the creature that was floating behind Celeste had a fierce angry look on its face, in addition to its yellow eyes and star shaped tattoos, instead of the peaceful look that the card was known for.

Tristan just shrugged.

"Maybe the seal messes up the monster's appearance somehow. I mean the Seal of Oricalcos always did." He reminded everyone.

"That's it!" Joey shouted.

Tristan winced.

"Hey! I'm right here you don't have to shout!" He yelled at Joey.

"Sorry," Joey apologized, "but I just realized what this seal and the Seal of Darkness remind me of. Both of them have weird symbols in the center of them, strange letters on the outside, and they can't be removed by normal means. Just like the Seal of Orichalcos did! I'll bet that they're somehow connected!"

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Yami placed one card onto his field.

"I'll summon my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1200/1400) in defense mode." He declared

An elven warrior in green armor appeared on one knee in front of Pharaoh.

"And just so you know, he can't be destroyed by a monster with more than 1900 attack points." Yami pointed out, "That's all for my turn."

"Don't worry, I know." Celeste said

Celeste drew another card and smiled.

"First, I'll summon White Magician Pikeru (1400/0) to field in attack mode." She declared.

A pool of light appeared in front of Celeste, and a young girl in pure white robes jumped out, waving a scepter that was almost as large as she was. Immediately, she was covered in a tattoo identical to Celeste's

"Isn't she cute?" Celeste asked, "Now I'll activate Exchange, forcing us to each take a card from the others hand."

"How will that work if we can't…" Yami began.

Then the two duelists began to float toward each other until they were both hovering over the center of the field.

"Never mind." The spiky haired duelist sighed.

Celeste looked at her opponent's hand and plucked a card away.

"I'll take the Book of Secret Arts and you can have this, the only card left in my hand." She said with a grin.

As the two duelists returned to their proper places, Yami looked at the card he had been given.

"_Cestus of Dagla!"_ he thought _"But this card can only be used on fairy type monsters, and I only have one in my deck! Ah well…I guess I'll have to make due."_

Celeste in the mean time placed her new card into an open spot behind Pikeru.

"I'll equip the card you gave me to my White Magician, giving her an extra 300 attack points, so now she's strong enough to beat your monster without triggering its special ability." Celeste announced.

Pikeru looked up as a spell book appeared from nowhere, and hovered down to her eye level. Pikeru smiled and tucked the tome under her left arm, and eldritch energy began to surround her body.

"Now, White Magician Pikeru (1700/0), attack his Guardian with white magic!" Celeste ordered.

The small girl laughed and gave her magic staff a spin, firing a blast of white energy at Yami's lone monster. The elven knight groaned, and then vanished in a burst of light.

As Yami blinked to clear his eyes after the flash, Celeste pointed toward him.

"Now Soul of Purity and Light attack with silver spirit ray!" She commanded.

The silvery maiden raised one hand and launched a beam of light toward the opposing duelist, who let out a cry of pain as the beam struck him.

Celeste LP: 10500

Yugi/Pharaoh LP: 5800

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"Yugi!" Joey shouted from outside the wall of light.

"Don't bother shouting for him." Said a strangely calm voice, "He can't hear you."

Joey spun around and screamed.

Brian smiled wickedly as a cloud of darkness rose up behind him.

"You ready for our rematch Wheeler?" He asked.

To Be Continued…

_Whoa! Celeste is one of the Elemental Duelists, Joey is in a major jam, and just what the hell happened to Bakura? If you want to find out, you'll need to wait for our next chapter_

_Prisms_

_See you then!_

Elemental Seal of Light

Spell Card

Field

This card cannot be removed from the field. As long as this card remains on the field, increase the attack of all LIGHT monsters on your side of the field by 200 points. The controller of this card may treat all monsters on his/her side of the field as LIGHT monsters. Once per turn you may discard one monster from your hand and increase your life points by one-half of the original attack points of the discarded monster.


	9. Prisms

Disclaimer: Thanks to Jason Voorhees's very rude interruption while we were negotiating for the rights to Yu-Gi-Oh, we still don't own it. As such, we only own the original characters and cards in this fic.

_Previously: Yugi and his friends have gathered a few clues as to the goings on of these new duelists, but they figure out to late that Celeste is one of their new found enemies! Now Yugi has been trapped in a duel with her, and Brian is making a move to trap Joey again! How's our team gonna get out of this one?_

**Chapter 8**

**Prisms**

As Brian's shadows loomed toward Joey they came into contact with Celeste's seal.

----------------------------------------

Inside, Celeste spotted the wall of light around the field start to ripple and bend where the shadows touched it. Sighing, Celeste glanced toward Yami (who was doubled over in pain as red marks appeared across his body from the attack), and then closed her eyes and projected her thoughts toward Brian.

--------------------------------------------------------

"_Do you have to do this now?"_ She shouted as a ball of light flashed into existence in front of Brian, _"I'm in the middle of a duel here."_

Brian just smiled at the small sphere as he closed his eyes to respond.

"_Sorry, I'll just take this…"_ He trailed off.

The shadows behind him faded away as Brian looked toward the far wall of the cafeteria.

"_What's this?"_ He thought, _"I'm sensing a strong darkness from…the auditorium? But who is it?" _

The shadows around Joey faded away as Brian started moving away from the seal. Suddenly, Celeste's light moved in front of Brian, shimmering and glowing in an agitated manner.

"_Now you know that Needlez wouldn't be happy if you took off to do some recreational dueling! A rematch with Joey is fine because he's your target." _Celeste shouted.

Brian ignored the small light and his shadow rose up around him. Without a word, the dark duelist vanished.

------------------------------------------

Celeste shook her head in frustration.

"Men!" She muttered under her breath.

----------------------------------------

As Joey, Tea, and Tristan breathed a collective sigh of relief though, a huge blast of fire suddenly knocked out a large section of the wall across the room!

"Now what?" Tristan shouted.

Stepping through the new hole was a young man, slightly younger than Brian, with red hair and blue eyes, wearing a red shirt and khaki pants with a wisp of fire coming off of each hand.

--------------------------------------------------

Inside the seal, Yami straightened out and looked back toward Celeste.

"_It felt like that monster really hit me!"_ He thought, _"Something tells me I should be more careful…"_

Then he noticed a huge ripple go across the light screen behind Celeste.

"What was that?" He asked.

Glancing over her shoulder, Celeste let out another frustrated sigh as a small ball of flame appeared in front of her and began to spark.

"_Man I love doing that!"_ Tim's voice shouted in Celeste's head, _"Hey there Celeste, how's the duel going?"_

Celeste glared at ball of fire.

"_You just came here to distract me didn't you?" _She thought angrily.

"Actually I'm here to distract everyone else so that no one interferes with your duel. Any clue where the chem. lab is in this place?" Tim responded.

"_Tim, read my flashing light: NO MESSING AROUND IN THE CHEM LAB!" _Celeste ordered.

The fireball shrank a little, then went back to about the size of Celeste's fist.

"_All right, I'll find it myself. See ya!"_ Tim shouted.

-------------------------------------------------------

Outside the seal, Joey and the others backed away from the new intruder as he walked toward the doors.

"Just who are you?" Tea shouted as the boy prepared to enter the hall.

Looking over his shoulder, the pyrokinetic smiled.

"I'm Tim, the Elemental Duelist of Fire and one man wrecking crew." He announced, pointing back at the large hole he had made in the wall, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a job to do."

And with that the fire duelist headed out the doors and into the hall.

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In the mean time, a human sized blob of shadows surfaced in the auditorium. Brian stepped out of the blob, which receded into the floor and merged with his shadow. Looking around, Brian saw the auditorium had several row of seats, almost making it look like a small movie theater or lecture hall. Standing on the stage up front was boy, about the same age as Joey, with white hair. He was wearing a blue school uniform, and had a cold, dark look in his eyes.

Brian's eyes narrowed at the student. He began to move toward the stage, his gaze locked on the boy in front of him.

"_I recognize this one." _He thought,_ "Yugi and the others spoke to him earlier today. But he seems much different. He didn't look quite so…evil before."_

Brian stepped onto the stage and the boy smiled.

"So, you're the infamous 'Duelist of Darkness?' Hah!" He scoffed, "Do you honestly think that those wimpy shadows of yours can stand up to some true darkness?"

Brian just continued to stare at the boy.

"Who are you, and why did you want me to come here?" Brian asked, "I could feel you using the shadows for something, but what?"

"I'll answer your questions in order." The youth explained, "I'm known as Bakura by those around here. And the reason I brought you here is simple. You were chasing after Yugi Mutoh and his friends, I can only assume in an attempt to defeat Yugi, and that is something I can't allow. I require something from that boy myself."

Brian adopted a smug smile.

"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but you're after the wrong guy." He explained, "I was after Joey, and Yugi is already involved in a duel."

"What!" Bakura gasped, "I need to stop this. If Yugi loses…"

"That doesn't concern you." Brian declared.

Shadows began to rise up around the two, trapping Bakura on the stage.

"You can call up shadow games!" Bakura exclaimed/

"Not exactly, I just use shadows and darkness to prevent my foes from escaping. Now, seeing as I can't let you interfere with Celeste's mission," Brian explained, "I think a little duel is in order…"

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Celeste sighed in frustration.

"You're move Yugi." She announced.

Yami drew, and then held up one card.

"I'll play Graceful Charity allowing me to draw three cards, and then discard two!" He declared.

An angel in white robes suddenly stepped out of the light behind Yami, and raised one hand, bathing his deck in light.

Yami quickly drew three cards and looked them over. Smiling, he placed one card horizontally onto the mat.

"Since I drew it by a card's effect I'll summon my Watapon (300/200) in defense mode." He declared.

A squeak sounded across the field, as monster that looked like an oversized cotton ball with eyes and antennae fell out of the ceiling and landed in front of Yami. Yami then placed two cards onto the graveyard portion of his mat, and placed two in his spell and trap zone.

"Now then, I'll discard these two cards and play two cards face down to end my turn." Yami announced.

Two brown backed cards faded into view behind Watapon, who looked up at Celeste and squeaked again.

Celeste smiled at the tiny creature as she drew her next card.

"Awww, it's so cute." She cooed, and then a mischievous smile crossed her face, "Too bad it won't be on the field for much longer. But first, Pikeru, if you will."

The Pikeru giggled, and held up her staff. A warm light began to cover Celeste's half of the field, and beams of light came off of each of her monsters, connecting to the numbers over head, which began to change.

Celeste LP: 11300

Yugi LP: 5800

Celeste smiled at her opponent's confused expression.

"You see Yugi, for every monster that I control; Pikeru is nice enough to give me 400 LP on each of my standby phases. I have two monsters, so I gain 800 LP." Celeste explained, "Now that that's done, Pikeru would you like to attack?"

The pink haired mage nodded, causing her hat to bounce on her head, and held up her staff. A beam of light gathered, and shot toward Yami's side of the field.

The spiky haired duelist just smiled as one of his face down cards flipped over.

"Nice try Celeste, but I thought a duelist who hoped to beat me would have paid more attention to my past duels. Behold Mirror Force!"

The ray suddenly stopped as a transparent barrier shot up in front of it. It hovered in place for a moment, before turning around and heading towards Celeste's monsters!

Celeste gasped and ducked down as the beam shot past her and struck the Soul of Purity and Light, while a second beam hit Pikeru in the chest. Both monsters screamed, then shattered into pixels.

"NO!" Celeste screamed as she stood back up.

Her shocked expression only lasted for a second, before a yellow light began to shine from her right hand. Her look of terror was immediately replaced by a calm, calculating expression.

"Fine then, I'll end my turn since I can't do anything else." She said stoically.

Yami was slightly surprised, and tried to spot the source of the glow. He quickly realized that it was coming from a silver ring set with a yellow stone on Celeste's right hand.

"_I wonder what that is for."_ He thought as he drew his next card.

Looking over his options, Yami placed another card onto the mat in front of him.

"Time to keep your monsters in check Celeste. I play the Messenger of Peace!" Yami announced

Slowly, man in a purple cape with a dove on his shoulder walked out of the light and stopped in front of his controller.

"What's he for?" Celeste asked in a monotonous voice.

"You'll see soon enough." Yami promised, "Now, I'll activate my facedown card, The Call of the Haunted, and use it to revive my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

The second card lifted up, and purple smoke poured out of it. The smoke gathered in the spot in front of the trap, and then parted to reveal the armored elf. Celtic Guardian smiled, and held up his sword in a battle ready position.

"And now to use the card you gave me earlier, I'll move Watapon to attack mode and equip it with the Cestus of Dagla, boosting its attack by 500 points!" Yami called out as he shifted the position of one card and placed another on the field.

Watapon squeaked in glee as it heard its name, then stared in wonder as a pair of blades shaped like the letter D faded into existence in front of it. The fuzzy fairy wrapped its antennae around the D-shaped daggers and let out another gleeful squeak.

Yami pointed toward Celeste.

"Now Watapon, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack her directly!" Yami ordered.

Watapon squeaked once more as it fired two beams of light from its weapons, one toward Celeste, and the other toward Yami. Yami smiled as he felt the sting of the earlier attack fade away, but Celeste crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive position, and a wall of light shot up in front of her blocking Watapon's attack!

Celeste LP: 10500

Yugi/Yami LP: 6600

Yami was confused by the wall, but upon seeing Celeste's LP drop he let out a sigh of relief.

"I guess that light screen is just so you won't be physically hurt, seeing as it didn't keep your life points from decreasing, nor did it stop me from restoring the same amount of LP you lost thanks to the Cestus of Dagla." He observed, "So my guardian can and will attack you as well!"

The elf charged forward, then jumped into the air, bringing his sword down on the wall. Celeste didn't waver however, even as the lights above her head change shape.

Celeste LP: 9100

Yugi/Yami LP: 6600

"That ends my turn." Yami announced.

Celeste said nothing as she drew her card.

"I summon Shining Angel in attack mode (1600/800)." She declared

At her command a blond youth with four golden wings, wearing a white toga descended from above, the same yellow marks appearing on his body.

"And now, my monster will attack Watapon." Celeste declared.

Shining Angel held out one hand as if to fire an energy bolt, when the man in the purple cape on Yami's side of the field stepped forward. He raised one hand, and the dove on his shoulder flew away and landed on the angel's. The angel looked at the dove, nodded, and then lowered his hand!

"What happened?" Celeste asked

"Simple," Yami explained, "My Messenger of Peace forbids any monster with 1500 attack points or more from attacking. So your angel can do me no harm."

"Then I end my turn." Celeste announced, "Your monsters can't beat mine any way."

Yami drew his card.

"You're right about that Celeste, so there's nothing that I can do." Yami admitted, "But to keep the Messenger of Peace in play I must pay 100 LP, so I will."

Yami gasped as a beam of light floated from his body, and went down to the man and his dove, both of whom looked up at Yami with a look of gratitude.

Celeste LP: 9100

Yugi/Yami LP: 6500

Celeste drew her next card without a word.

"_Excellent!"_ She thought staring at the card she had just drawn, _"I only need the other two now."_

"Nothing I can do Yugi, your turn." Celeste declared

Yami drew, and looked at his new card with a smug smile.

"This turn I will not pay for Messenger of Peace," Yami told his opponent.

The man nodded, and he and his dove faded away. Yami removed their card from his field, and then remove Watapon and his Celtic Guardian as well!

"Instead I'll sacrifice both my monsters to summon my Dark Magician (2500/2100)!" Yami shouted.

Watapon and Celtic Guardian disappeared in columns of light, and a column of black energy shot out of the ground. This energy faded, revealing a familiar mage in purple robes with a large green staff, with a look of grim determination on his face.

"Now, Dark Magician, destroy her angel with dark magic attack!" Yami ordered.

The end of the sorcerer's staff glowed and purple lightning shot out and nailed the Shining Angel! The winged man groaned, and shattered into shards as Celeste's LP dropped.

Celeste LP: 8200

Yugi/Yami LP: 6500

Celeste simply nodded politely to her opponent as she slid a card out of her deck and placed it onto the field.

"Thank you Yugi. Now I can activate my angel's ability." She announced.

A single golden feather fell to the ground where Shining Angel had been, and a pool of light formed around it.

"When my angel is killed in battle, he will let me summon one light monster with less than 1500 attack to the field. I choose the Forgiving Maiden (1050/2000)." Celeste explained.

A stone sarcophagus appeared on the field and with it a beautiful young maiden in black mourning robes. The girl had tears streaming down her face as the yellow stars appeared on her body as well.

"_Just one more."_ Celeste thought.

Yami just shook his head.

"That monster can't help you now. I'll end my turn." He declared

Celeste drew her next card, and then placed one on the field.

"You're wrong, she can help me thanks to the monster I just drew." Celeste announced, "I will play Polymerization and use the Forgiving Maiden on the field and my Marie the Fallen One from my hand!"

Next to the maiden another young girl appeared. This one however had pitch-black skin that looked like porcelain, which contrasted greatly with her chin length blond hair and light pink dress, as well as a pair of black, feathered wings.

Suddenly the two monsters merged into a ball of white light as Celeste placed the proper cards into her graveyard and slid a card from her fusion deck onto the field.

"Now meet one of the stars of my deck. Come forth to the battle field, St. Joan (3000/2000)!" Celeste commanded.

The orb of light faded, leaving behind a beautiful young woman with short, strawberry blond hair. She wore silver armor and carried a large broadsword. The yellow stars appeared on her body and armor, and she pointed her weapon, which looked as though it had been used many times before, at the Dark Magician.

Yami gasped, and Yugi's astral form projected itself next to him, a concerned expression on his face.

"_Yami, I have a feeling we might be in trouble here." _Yugi stated.

Yami simply nodded.

"I think that you may be right." He agreed

"I hope you aren't attached to that Dark Magician (2500/2100)." Celeste sighed, "Oh wait, I just remembered that it's your favorite monster isn't it? Oh well. St. Joan, attack with holy edged blade!"

The woman lunged forward and cut down the magician in a single stroke from her battle worn weapon! Dark Magician gasped, then shattered.

Celeste LP: 8200

Yugi/Yami LP: 6000

"That's all for now Yugi." Celeste said, still very stoically.

Yami drew his card.

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In the mean time, Tim was muttering to himself as he wandered the halls of the school. He was checking the label on every door he came to, and paying no attention to the metal lockers or beautiful view through the windows on the other side of the hall.

"Computer Lab… Computer Lab… Computer Lab. Doesn't this school have anything other than computer sciences!" He complained.

Tim let out a frustrated sigh as he turned the corner and was greeted by a slightly open door, through which he could see several students working over beakers and test tubes.

"Jackpot!" Tim said with a grin, "Now how do I get the students to clear out?"

As his gaze wandered, the pyromaniac noticed a bright red fire alarm across the hall from the door.

"Things this easy should be against the law, which I'm currently breaking soooooo… I don't care!" Tim laughed.

Tim dashed over the alarm and pulled down on the lever, filling the entire school with a loud warning buzzer. Panicked teachers and pupils came running out of their classrooms and toward the exit as the Duelist of Fire moved into the chemistry lab with a fireball in each hand.

"In case of fire please take stairs…" Tim said as he aimed toward the nearby supply cupboard.

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As Yami looked over his options the fire alarm began to sound throughout the building.

"What's going on?" He shouted.

Celeste closed her eyes as the light from her ring went out, and projected her thoughts toward Tim and Brian.

"_Two things boys: 1. TIM BEFORE YOU EVEN THINK_ _ABOUT IT…"_ Celeste was cut short as a huge explosion echoed down the hall and a small orb of fire appeared in front of her.

"_WOO-HOO! I FOUND THE CHEM LABS!" _Tim's thoughts screamed as the light duelist sighed in frustration.

"_Okay then. BRIAN! Can you do something about Tim?"_ Celeste requested.

A blob of shadows materialized in front of her, relaying the dark duelists thoughts.

"_Love to help you out Celeste, but currently I have 4000 LP, no cards on the field, an opponent with a Dark Necrofear, limited options, and I don't plan on losing."_

"_Hit it." _Tim thought.

Celeste shook her head.

"Did our master send me just to baby-sit the Blues Brothers?" She muttered.

"What are those?" Yami asked pointing at the spheres of shadow and fire, which quickly faded away as Celeste broke off her mental connection.

"Oh those?" Celeste asked, "Irritating above all else, but other than that a useful way for us to coordinate our attacks via telepathy."

Yami held up a card.

"You realize that it's against the rules for you to receive help in the middle of a duel?" He pointed out.

Celeste's ring began to glow once again, and all emotion drained from her face.

"Those two are no help in a duel, giving advise or otherwise, so don't worry about that." She assured Yami.

"Very well. Though I don't think I want to know what that explosion was about, it's just one more reason for me to end this quickly and I aim to with my Dark Magic Curtain!" Yami declared, placing another card onto the field.

A large red curtain appeared on the field in front of Yami, and another ray of light was puller from Yami's body. The duelist gasped and struggled to stay on his feet as the curtain began to glow.

Celeste LP: 8200

Yugi/Yami LP: 3000

"Now that I have given up half of my LP I can summon any Dark Spellcaster from my deck to the field. And I select my Dark Magician Girl (2300/1700), who gains 300 attack points thanks to the Dark Magician in my graveyard!" Yami declared.

The curtain pulled aside revealing an adorable girl in a blue magician outfit and holding a magic cane. She looked toward Joan, an angry look in her blue eyes, and pointed her staff at the armored woman.

"Shouldn't I get to summon one too?" Celeste asked.

Yami shook his head.

"From what I have seen Celeste, I doubt that you have any Dark Spellcasters." Yami pointed out.

Celeste thought for a moment, and then nodded.

"You're right. I gave my last Dark Spellcaster to Brian." She admitted, "Ah well, your monster still can't beat Joan."

The female knight swung her sword, and pointed it at the magician girl.

Yami held up two more cards and placed them on the field.

"She can with these." He declared, "I lay one card face down and activate Mage Power to raise Dark Magician Girl's attack and defense by 500 for every spell and trap I control."

The Spellcaster monster let out a joyful laugh as a facedown card materialized behind her. A pink glow floated from the card and surrounded her body giving her an aura of magical energy.

"Now my Dark Magician Girl (3300/2700), avenge your teacher, and attack with burning magic!" Yami ordered

Dark Magician Girl swung her staff forward, firing a blast of pink energy from it. The magical energy shot into, and _through_, Joan's stomach! The monster gasped in pain, and shattered into motes of light.

Celeste LP: 7900

Yugi/Yami LP: 3000

"You will pay for that." Celeste said with a venomous look before her ring flashed, signaling the return of her cold calculating expression.

Celeste drew her card and a bit of strange energy floated out of her graveyard and surrounded her body, causing her LP counter to increase.

Celeste LP: 8100

Yugi/Yami LP: 3000

Yami stared at the LP indicator.

"How did you restore those life points Celeste?" He asked

Celeste pointed at her graveyard pile.

"Simple. As long as Marie the Fallen One is in my graveyard, I gain 200 LP during each standby phase." She explained.

"It won't be so simple for long!" Yami shouted, "I noticed that you have quite a few cards that restore your life points so that's why I'm glad I added this card to my deck. Behold: Bad Reaction to Simochi!"

The trap flipped over, revealing the image of a sickly young woman surrounded by a toxic looking mist, and a similar shadowy mist crawled over Celeste's half of the field.

"From this point forward, any time you try to restore LP my trap will instead deduct the same amount from your life." Yami explained

Celeste shook her head and looked at her hand.

"I'll pass this turn." She said.

Yami drew his next card and smiled as he placed it onto the field.

"I'll set this face down Celeste, giving my magician another 500 attack and defense. And now Dark Magician Girl (3800/3200) will attack you directly!"

Another card appeared behind Dark Magician Girl, and the pink aura around her body increased in intensity. The Spellcaster swung her staff again, firing a beam of pink energy straight at Celeste!

Celeste crossed her arms again to block the attack, and once more the ring protected the light duelist with a wall of light. As the shield dropped, Celeste seemed to be exhausted from the effort of blocking the attack.

Celeste LP: 4300

Yugi/Yami LP: 3000

Celeste drew another card and held it up even as a small point of light was pulled from her body and into the graveyard.

"I activate the Mystical Space Typhoon to get rid of Mage Power." She declared.

A rush of wind shot forward, surrounding the sorceress. Her pink aura quickly faded away, and she looked very disappointed.

"Now I end my turn." Celeste declared.

Celeste LP: 4100

Yugi/Yami LP: 3000

Yugi looked at the cards in his partner's hand as Yami drew.

"_These don't exactly help us."_ Yami thought

"_Well"_ Yugi said, _"At least we still have a direct shot at her LP again. She must be having terrible luck."_

Yami nodded in and pointed toward Celeste.

"Now my mighty magician, strike down more of Celeste's LP!" Yami ordered.

Celeste raised her arms once more to protect herself from the wave of pink magic. As the wall of light faded away, she looked as though she had just ran a mile. Celeste was breathing hard and she was beginning to sweat.

Celeste LP: 1800

Yugi/Yami LP: 3000

Celeste drew and looked at her new card with interest as another 200 LP were subtracted from her total.

"Well Yugi, it's about time for your demise. I play Card of Sanctity." She announced

Gold coins began to rain from the ceiling as both competitors drew their extra cards. Celeste held up three of her cards, placing two on the field and one in the graveyard.

"Now I activate Prayer to the Light Mistress." She announced.

A green bordered card, showing the image of a young woman kneeling in front of an altar with a statuette of a six-winged angel.

"Now, by sacrificing a total of six stars worth of monsters from my hand, in this case Agent of Judgment Saturn, I may summon my greatest creature: LIGHT MISTRESS---CRUZ (1700/2000)!" Celeste shouted.

A glorious sphere of light materialized over the field. A blue skinned woman appeared next to the light and floated inside. Then, out of the light stepped a beautiful, purple skinned woman in white robes, with six silver colored angelic wings. She was whispering in a strange language as yellow stars materialized on her body.

Yami stared at the new creature in awe.

"I've never seen that monster before." He confessed.

"She is the ultimate creature of light." Celeste explained, "And now I'll prove it. I play White Revival Curtain, which lets me bring any Fairy type creature of light back from the graveyard, as long as I remove a monster in the graveyard from play. Any guesses as to which one?"

Yugi's eyes widened as he looked at the field.

_"She's going to remove Marie to bring back Joan!" _He warned his friend

In a moment, Yugi's fears were realized. The black-skinned Marie faded into view, only to have a white curtain wrap around her. The curtain parted, revealing the angelic warrior, who seemed slightly angered over being destroyed and shot a threatening glare at the Dark Magician Girl.

"Too bad she can't attack and is only back for one turn." Celeste sighed.

Yami seemed confused.

"Then neither of your monsters is a threat to my magician!" He stated, "Joan can't attack, and Cruz is too weak."

Celeste showed no emotion as she held up another card.

"You probably don't know the story of the _real _St. Joan." She sighed, "She heard what she believed was the voice of God, which told her to lead France in an uprising against the English invaders. She did so, and led her people well until she was captured by the English and burned at the stake. But when they killed her, the English actually strengthened the wills of the French. You see Yugi, a reason to fight is enough to give someone strength, but if your cause has a martyr, then it can be next to unstoppable."

Celste placed her card on the field, and Joan turned toward Cruz.

"And a martyr is just what I'm going to turn Joan into. I activate the spell card, Gift of the Martyr." Celeste explained, "It will let me sacrifice Joan to add her attack points to Cruz's for this turn."

The warrior saint held out her sword, which the angel took. Cruz and Joan nodded to each other, before Joan vanished in a flash of flames. Cruz (4500/2000) held up the blade, and glared at the Dark Magician Girl.

"Now Cruz, attack with Starlight Sonata." Celeste ordered.

Cruz pointed the blade toward Dark Magician Girl and several beams of light shot from it, forming a beautiful pattern. The girl screamed as the lights slammed into her, causing her to shatter into pixels, and then the lights kept going until they hit Yami! Yami gasped in pain as a series of red marks and cuts appeared where the lights struck him.

Celeste LP: 1600

Yugi/Yami LP: 600

Yugi and Yami were both shocked, not only over the loss of one of their favorite monsters and the injuries they had sustained, but also at the cold demeanor Celeste showed at sacrificing one of her monsters. Cruz (1900/2000) lowered the sword, which vanished, and returned to her chant as a barely visible yellow aura appeared around her.

"As you're beginning to guess my light mistress has a special ability." Celeste said, "She gains 200 attack points for every monster she destroys that isn't a creature of light. Now I'll lay this card face down and end my turn."

A new card appeared behind Cruz, who continued her whispered prayer.

Yami drew and looked over his cards before he placed two down.

"I'll lay this card on the field." He announced.

Then he placed another card down next to them.

"Next, I activate Emergency Provisions!" Yami shouted reaching for the cards he had just played, "So I shall…"

"_Wait!"_ Yugi shouted, _"Leave that one alone!"_

Yami turned toward Yugi.

"_But why?"_ He asked, _"We need the LP, and…"_

A look of relization crossed his face.

"_Of course."_ Yami thought, _"She's a LIGHT duelist."_

"I'll only sacrifice this face down Dedication through Light and Darkness I just placed on the field. So I gain 1000 LP!" Yami announced.

One of the facedown cards shattered, and glowing sparks of light floated over Yami, causing his LP counter to jump and some of the more serious cuts to heal.

Celeste LP: 1600

Yugi/Yami LP: 1600

"You think that will save you Yugi?" Celeste asked as she drew a card.

"No, but this will." Yami stated as one of his cards turned over and a huge beast appeared in front of him, "I activate Threatening Roar during your standby phase, so now you must skip your battle phase!"

The creature let out a ferocious snarl, causing Cruz to cringe in fear.

"Too little, too late." Celeste commented, "I activate Scapegoats from my hand to bring in four new monsters, which automatically become creatures of light thanks to my seal."

Four fluffy goats (200/0) with stars on their backs began to skip around Cruz.

"And now this is end game." Celeste declared, "I don't need to attack to damage your LP. I'll activate my face down Solar Ray and now you lose 600 LP for every creature of light I control, and I count five including the Scapegoats."

Celeste's facedown card turned over, and Cruz raised her arms. White light began to flow from the goats and Cruz, forming into an orb of white light over Celeste's head. The orb continued to grow until it was bigger than Yami, and then launched forward.

"I should have expected something like this..." Yami lamented, as the attack bore down on him.

Celeste began to laugh as maniacally as her stoic personality would allow, when suddenly the last card in front of her opponent turned over and the attack halted.

"Oh wait, I did!" Yami smirked, "I don't live in a game shop for nothing! Celeste, you just fell victim to my trap, Barrel Behind the Door. It stops the effects of your trap and redirects the damage to your LP!"

The light orb was now loaded into a golden gun, which pointed directly at the duelist of light, whose ring stopped glowing and emotion flooded her expression.

"Drat! How could I not have seen that coming?" She shouted.

Yami pointed straight at her as the gun went off.

"This is truly the end game!" He yelled as the deflected attack struck Celeste.

Celeste screamed as the blast of light struck her in the chest and knocked her flat on her back as her LP dropped to nothing.

Celeste LP: 0

Yugi/Yami LP: 1600

_Whew! That was close. Looks like Yami and Yugi managed to win, but what happened to Tim and Brian? Well, you're probably wondering just who this "Lord Needlez" is as well. Here's some good news and bad news. Good news: next week, we finally see the leader of these new enemies. Bad news, no dueling (Sorry, but we need to have some room for plot!). Hope you all come back for our next chapter_

_Recoup and Regroup_

_See ya then!_

Original Cards

---

Prayer to the Light Mistress

Spell Card

Ritual

This spell may be used to summon "Light Mistress-Cruz" by sacrificing monsters from your hand or field whose total level stars equal six or more.

---

Light Mistress-Cruz

Monster

LIGHT

Fairy

Ritual/Effect

1500/2000

This monster can only be summoned by using "Prayer to the Light Mistress" and by sacrificing monsters from your hand or field whose total level stars equal six or more. This monster gains 200 attack points for every non-LIGHT monster it destroys as a result of battle.

---

White Revival Curtain

Spell Card

Remove one monster in your graveyard from play. You may then special summon one LIGHT attribute, Fairy type monster from your graveyard. The summoned monster may not attack this turn, and is destroyed at the end of the turn in which it is summoned.

---

Dark Magic Curtain

Spell Card

Both players may pay one-half of their life points to special summon one DARK attribute, Spellcaster type monster from their deck to the field.

_Dark Magic Curtain was first used by Arkana, in the anime episode "Master of Magicians (pt. 3)." All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._


	10. Recoup and Regroup

Disclaimer: Still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, only the original characters and cards we created.

…

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY! SOMEONE SELL US THE RIGHTS TO YU-GI-OH!

(Older Hokage is sedated by Hikari and Younger Hokage)

Sorry about that.

A/N: No dueling in this chapter, but some interesting plot stuff. Hope you enjoy it, 'cause Hikari spent a lot of time writing, and Younger Hokage and I did a lot of editing and re-reading to make sure it was good.

**Chapter 9**

**Recoup and Regroup**

Celeste gasped as she recovered from that last blow to her life points. Looking up she noticed the ceiling was starting to sink inward

"_Well that's not good."_ She thought.

Yami and Yugi both breathed a sigh of relief as the circle of light passed over them and moved toward Celeste. The platforms and duel mats began to vanish, and two more pairs of hands made of yellow light materialized and grabbed hold of both decks. As Yami reached forward to claim his cards, the left hands suddenly snatched a card from his deck!

"Hey, what are you…" He shouted.

The hand turned the card around, revealing the Cestus of Dagla Celeste had given Yami during their duel. It then flew towards Celeste, placing the card back into her deck as one of the hands that was in front of Celeste came toward Yami, holding his Book of Secret Arts, which it placed back into his deck.

As this was happening, the platforms of light they had been standing on were lowering both players gently to the floor as the circle shrank around Celeste, who looked at the wall of light around her, then back up at the sagging ceiling.

"Well it's been a blast but I've got to be going." Celeste shouted to her opponent

With that, she swung her right fist and backhanded the wall. The entire room lit up as the wall of light flared up with increased intensity, causing Yami, Joey, Tea, and Tristan to all cover their eyes.

Joey was the first to pull his hand away from his face, and sighed as he saw the seal and all traces of it were gone, Celeste was standing in the center of the room with no evidence of any foul play (other than the mess of tables and chairs pushed against the walls).

"I figured you'd be able to break you're seal." Joey sneered, "So I take it you're gonna run away now."

"Actually I think you should be the ones running." A voice echoed from the corner.

Looking toward the corner, Joey and the others gasped as Brian stepped out of the shadows. His black shirt and blue jeans were covered in ash, and he was holding Tim by the back of his shirt collar.

"In case you haven't noticed Joey, this building has been set on fire, mostly thanks to Tim here." Brian said, holding up the pyromaniac for emphasis.

"I blame the modern educational system." Tim protested, "What are they thinking keeping such hazardous chemicals where anyone can get to them?"

"We'll discuss this later." Brian grumbled, "In the meantime, in case you didn't notice, the fire seems to have spread rapidly, and the roof of this room is in danger of collapsing."

Looking up, Yami and his friends noticed for the first time the cracks appearing along the ceiling above them, and the flakes of plaster and ash, which were beginning to fall off of it. They also noticed that the ceiling was being supported by what seemed to be a yellow force field.

"The only reason it hasn't collapsed yet is because Celeste is concentrating on holding it up." Brian explained, "Though I don't think she can keep this up for long."

"Thanks…for…the vote of …confidence!" Celeste panted.

"Well, like I said before, you guys should probably go. Now." Brian stated.

"You heard the man, let's go!" Tea shouted, running for the door with Tristan right on her heels.

Joey looked at Brian with a suspicious glint in his eye.

"How do I know you won't attack us again the minute we leave the school?" He asked.

"We won't." Brian said, "Celeste and I are both tired after our recent duels, and there'll be too many people around to make a move against you anyway."

Joey frowned, and opened his mouth to speak again when he felt Yami's hand rest on his shoulder. Turning around, Joey looked at Yami, who gave him nod. Joey nodded and the two of them ran for the doorway.

Once they were out of sight, Brian smiled, and then glared at Tim.

"What?" Tim asked.

"It's later." Brian growled as his shadow lifted off of the floor and grabbed all three of the teens left in the room.

The shadow fell away, and the ceiling quickly followed suit.

-----------------------------------------

Needless to say, classes were cancelled for the rest of the day. Yugi and his friends agreed it would be best to rest and discuss matters with the others tomorrow.

That had been hours ago. Now, it was about six o'clock, and Yugi was looking over his cards again.

"Looks like none of them were damaged." He said with a sigh of relief.

"_That's good to hear."_ Yami sighed, _"But things were very dangerous for a minute their."_

"Why do you suppose they decided to save us?" Yugi asked.

"_Under normal circumstances, I'd say so they can try to defeat us later." _Yami theorized, _"But I have a feeling that they wanted to help us because they knew it was right."_

"Well, at least they're honorable." Yugi commented as he held up the card he had given Celeste earlier, "Take a look, not a scratch on it! And the card she gave me in that duel was in pristine condition as well."

Suddenly, a beep began to fill the room. Yugi looked up with a start, and then looked toward the new computer his grandpa had got him after the Kaiba Corp. Grand Championship to help his studies in High School. It had a flat screen fifteen-inch monitor with dual speakers. The hard drive sat on the floor beneath the desk, and the green light indicated that it was on.

"Oops, I forgot to turn it off before dinner!" Yugi realized.

Yugi got up and quickly turned the screen on, and as he did he saw that the video chat option was lit up, indicating he was receiving a message!

Yugi didn't use the chat that often. None of his friends had it, but his grandpa had insist that he have it on the new machine. Yugi had only used it once before, and upon seeing the icon lighting up he could only think of one person who could be trying to contact him.

Clicking on the icon, Yugi smiled as the face of a man about as old as his grandfather filled the screen. He had kind eyes, and a gray mustache, and at the moment appeared to have his attention focused on the camera on top of his computer rather than the screen.

Yugi flicked on his own camera and microphone, then sat down in front of the computer.

"Hi there Professor Hawkins!" Yugi said enthusiastically.

The professor's eyes focused on the screen and he smiled.

"Ahh, Yugi! So good to…" He began

The professor was cut off however, as a blond haired girl (about Yugi's age) wearing glasses and jungle gear suddenly jumped into his lap. Her pigtails were practically bouncing with energy, and her blue eyes were sparkling with excitement.

"Rebecca!" Yugi shouted in surprise.

"Yugi! Great to see you again! It's been what, a year since we really saw you at the Grand Championship?" Rebecca cheered.

"Come to think of it, yeah!" Yugi exclaimed, "So I guess you and your grandpa have been busy?"

"Have we ever!" Rebecca exclaimed, "Just try and guess where we are! You're never gonna guess!"

Yugi looked at the background behind the two.

"Let me see…I see a canvas flap, a lantern, a cot with a sleeping bag on it, a small card table with a half finished game of Duel Monsters sitting on it and a support pole." Yugi observed, "So I guess you're in…a tent?"

The Rebecca giggled, and suddenly let out a yelp of surprise as Professor Hawkins pushed her out of his lap.

""You're really getting to big for that Rebecca." He panted, "And Yugi, you're right, we are in a tent. But were also in the eastern jungles of Brazil. And I've…"

Rebecca cleared her throat from off camera, and Professor Hawkins blushed a bit.

"That is, _We've_ made the most amazing discovery! Rebecca and I believe that we have found a city which belonged to an amazingly advanced civilization that died out before the Aztecs even came into existence!" He explained.

"Really!" Yugi shouted, "Professor, that's amazing! But shouldn't you be contacting museums and magazines and stuff like that?

"I've already taken care of all that." Professor Hawkins assured Yugi, "But I thought you might be interested in this given your…unique relationship with the past."

Yugi smiled and glanced over his shoulder, knowing full well that only he could see Yami's spirit standing there.

"So how long ago do you think they existed?" Yugi asked.

"This is something you may not believe." The professor said, "According to our tests and observations we believe that this civilization must be at least seven thousand years old!"

Yugi gasped, then adopted a serious expression.

"Um…I don't mean to be a mood killer professor, but how could a city exist in the middle of a rain forest? With all of the flooding and such wouldn't an actual city be impossible to build?" He pointed out.

"I considered that as well, until I saw it for myself." Professor Hawkins explained, "We came down here investigating the reports of this city from satellite images, and we believe we discovered how this area may have become inhabitable."

"Do you recognize this?" asked Rebecca.

She moved back onto the screen, behind her grandfather, holding up a fist sized chunk of strange blue-green stone for the camera to see

Yugi felt his eyes widen in fear as he stared at the gem in his friend's hand

"Rebecca put that down! It's dangerous! You do realize that's Orichalcum right?" He screamed.

"Don't worry all the Orichalcum around here seems inactive. I've done everything but drop it in acid..." Professor Hawkins explained.

"Professor don't you realize how dangerous working with Orichalcum is? You could make a monster!" Yugi shouted, his mind flashing back to the stories an ancient king had told him one year ago.

"A bit late for that isn't it? After all, my granddaughter is right here!" Professor Hawkins joked

Rebecca huffed angrily and stomped off screen, carrying the stone with her

"I am sorry dear, just couldn't resist. Why don't you get the other samples?" The professor requested, "You see Yugi, we've found many machines that are similar to ones from Atlantis, though much more primitive. Based on some of the carvings I've seen around here, I theorize that this civilization used the powers of the Orichalcum not just to make the area a suitable place for a city, but also for more spiritual purposes."

"How do you know this professor?" asked Yugi, "And for that matter, what were these people called?"

"They don't have a name as of yet. But as for your first question, let me explain. You see Yugi, this particular area seems to be a bit of a nexus for natural disasters, not just floods either! You name it, this area has probably been hit by it!" Professor Hawkins explained, throwing up his hands for emphasis, "For instance, the last three weeks it has rained almost constantly, we've been hit by at least a half dozen minor earthquakes, and just yesterday a tornado threatened our camp! But some of the carvings I've found prove that this had happened in the past. This extreme weather should have made this area uninhabitable but the people didn't just live here they thrived, take a look at these images I'm sending you!"

"_You've got mail!"_ And electronic voice beeped.

Yugi quickly reduced the size of the conference box to about a quarter of the screen and opened his mailbox. Finding the new e-mail, he quickly opened the attachment and gasped as he saw some of the photos. The first showed a girl holding her hands over a man with an arrow in his side, and standing behind the girl was a human with feathery wings!

The next photo showed a man pointing at a huge tornado, and a gigantic bird was flying toward the whirlwind as if under the man's control.

Next came the image of several burning trees, which were being doused by a group of serpents in the nearby river, which were accompanied by a man. All the figures in the river were spraying water onto the flames.

"I shouldn't have to tell you what the creatures in these carvings remind me of." Professor Hawkins stated.

"Professor, are you telling me these people knew of duel monsters?" asked Yugi

"Yes. I believe that the powers of the Orichalcum allowed them to call forth the monsters in times of need." Responded the professor.

He turned away from the camera and looked off screen.

"Rebecca? Do you have those other samples? You can explain your findings better than I could." He shouted.

"Right here Grandpa!" Rebecca responded.

Professor Hawkins backed away from the camera and Rebecca bounced back into view holding a tray with six gemstones resting on it.

The first was a deep indigo purple, Yugi could almost swear he saw shadows shifting in the darkness within the stone.

The next stone was a blood red ruby-like crystal that was amazing to see, the more Yugi focused the deeper the color seemed to become.

Next on the tray was an azure stone with waves of cerulean blue and seafoam green rippling through it

After that came an emerald colored stone with swirls of jade green that appeared to playfully reflect light and change hues.

Lying next to that was a dark sepia stone with veins of burnt sienna running through it.

The last one looked to be a simple ball of gold at first, until Yugi realized he could see through it.

Rebecca sat down at the computer, and placed the tray of stones off to the side.

"You see Yugi, these people not only used Orichalcum but somehow managed to convert it to something even more useful. We found them at different spots around the site, and each one seems to have been for a different purpose." Rebecca explained, "The blue one was in the aqueduct systems, while the brown was buried in what we think was a farm land."

A bulb went on in Yugi's head.

"So these crystals could change the elements around them somehow?" He guessed

"I think it may have worked both ways." Rebecca explained, "It seems that as these little pieces of Orichalcum remained exposed to one element, they would slowly become accustomed to it and begin to change and affect it specifically."

"And I'm guessing these stones could pass these powers on to people who touched them right?" Yugi asked

"Bingo. Apparently, with some talent and the right training, using these crystals could make controlling monsters and the elements as easy as hacking into Kaiba Corp." Rebecca giggled, "However, it looks like certain people could only work with certain crystals, those who could use these would learn to control their specific element and use it to help the people. And the people would in turn pay them a tribute of food and other supplies."

She paused to take a breath and type something on the keyboard in front of her. A picture of yet another clay tablet appeared on Yugi's screen, next to Rebecca's face. The image showed a young boy of about 10 surrounded by several strange creatures Yugi had never seen.

"From what we've been able to translate, this is a picture of a person known as the Elemental Master, and he could draw power from regular Orichalcum rather than the specified stuff the others had to use. What's more, the regular stuff gave him the power to control all elements." Rebecca explained.

The image of the carving vanished, and was replaced by a picture of a woven piece of cloth; the dye was still as vivid as the day it had been made. It showed people kneeling before the same person only in this interpretation he was older.

"I believe the saying 'absolute power corrupts absolutely is appropriate here." Professor Hawkins explained from off screen, "You see, after a number of years this Elemental Master began to abuse his powers. The mystics who used the crystals had a pledge... a code of honor you might say. One, they must never use their powers to harm the people. Two, they are guardians not governors. They cannot use their power to rule the people. Third and final, they must never fight amongst themselves."

"Why not?" Yugi asked.

"Considering the fact these guys could throw natural disasters at each other if they wanted to, I'd bet they were afraid that if they did fight among themselves they would do a lot of damage." Rebecca explained.

"So what happened to the Elemental Master?" Yugi gulped.

"Eventually, the other mystics realized they had to stop him for the good of the world." Professor Hawkins explained, "According to several more carvings which we are still photographing, they lured him into some sort of ambush. Once there, the good mystics unleashed their most powerful spells and monsters upon the Elemental Master, but he was too strong."

"Thankfully, they managed to get the better of him somehow." Rebecca continued, "But all the powerful mystics were killed in the battle, and without them to control the crystals the remaining people were wiped out by the return of the natural disasters."

Yugi was paling as he recalled Celeste's ring and Brian's necklace, as well as the damage Tim had caused

"What did they do to the Elemental Master once he was defeated?" Yugi asked.

"According to a scroll we found, his body was mummified, and the mystics used the last of their strength to seal his powers away within six magical runes, controlled by a greater rune." Professor Hawkins answered, "But when we checked the room where the seals and body were supposed to be kept, there was nothing but a large monolith with seven massive holes."

Yugi was a ghostly white now and breathing hard.

"Were these runes giving a specific name?" He choked out.

"Yeah, they were called the 'Elemental Seals' but the name of the greater rune is never given and…Yugi?" Rebecca started.

Yugi was breathing very hard now, and finally fell off his chair in a dead faint!

"YUGI!" Rebecca shouted.

A flash of light filled the camera lens, and Yami got to his feet.

"Professor, I think we may have a problem…" Yami explained, as he looked over toward the unconscious astral form of his other half.

-------------------------

In a dark cave somewhere, inside a featureless chamber about the size of an average living room, a column of light shot out of the ground.

Mako (who was now wearing a blue vest, shorts, and sandals) was leaning against the wall of the chamber, and looked up as the column faded, leaving Celeste standing where it had been. Her clothes had change from the school uniform to a yellow tank top with matching shorts. She was carrying a simple white backpack which bulged in the shape of a duel disk.

The shadows in the cave then began to shift, and Brian slid out of the floor, still holding Tim by the back of his shirt. Both brothers were wearing the outfits they had on during the first attack, although Brian had put a light weight black jacket on over his shirt. Tim was smiling, and singing a song that sounded a lot like "I've Been Working on the Railroad."

"_Oh I've been blowing up the chem. Labs, All the live long day! I've been blowing up the chem. Labs just to pass the time away!"_ Tim sang.

Brian smacked Tim in the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Tim shouted.

"Do you have any idea how much I hate having to cut a duel short?" Brian shouted.

"What does…" Tim started.

"When the fire alarm went off I knew I had to find you and Celeste so we could get of there, and so I could throttle you!" Brian yelled, "I had to stop my duel with that Bakura kid and call it a draw just as I started to win!"

"Whoops." Tim said with a sheepish grin, "But at least we kept Celeste's duel from being interrupted."

Mako looked over at Celeste.

"Things didn't go like you planned?" He asked.

Celeste glared at Mako, then walked over and sat on the floor next to him, turning her glare toward Tim.

"You know Tim, the only thing I find worse than you setting everything on fire, is someone who would forfeit in the middle of a duel." She cooed in a sweet tone, "What do you think Mako?"

Mako gulped and turned pale.

"Of course! I would never think of doing such a thing. Why, anyone who does that does not deserve to duel!" He declared.

Celeste got up flipping her hair behind her shoulder.

"Really." She said, "Then why did I hear that you forfeited to Mai Valentine?"

"Um…yes, well I uh…" Mako stumbled.

"Let's face facts, we're all screwed." Brian pointed out.

"Not me, I actually won my duel." Tim laughed.

"That ye did laddy!" A voice echoed from a nearby tunnel.

"Lord Needlez!" The other three exclaimed.

"I need all of ye to come in here, right now." The voice said, sounding quite impatient.

The four duelists looked at each other, and then made their way through the tunnel. Soon they emerged into a new chamber. This one had about as much space as the previous one, but the ceiling was much higher up. Across the chamber from the tunnel was a large black throne with torches planted in the walls every ten feet or so. Sitting on the throne, was an elderly gentleman who seemed to be in his early sixties. He had gray hair which was neatly trimmed and a matching mustache. He wore a simple gray business suit with black loafers, and was holding a golden pocket watch in his right hand. A chain led from the watch to the chest pocket of his suit, and glittering in the center of the watch was a shimmering blue-green stone about the size of a marble.

Two more figures were already in the chamber. The first was Zeffie who was still wearing her outfit from Egypt, but now had her shoulder length blond hair pushed back to show off the silver circlet around her forehead, with a small jade green stone glowing in the center.

Gold was leaning against the wall, nervously scratching at his brown hair. He was now wearing a simple white t-shirt and brown jeans, giving the others a good look at his well muscled arms. He waved to Brian and the others as they walked in, allowing them to see the golden bracelet with a small brown stone on his right wrist.

The man sitting on the throne stood up, a frown plastered to his face. Mako immediately ran up to him, and fell to one knee.

"Lord Needlez please forgive me for my abysmal failure!" Mako pleaded.

Needlez calmly looked down at Mako, and held out his watch. The stone in the watch began to shimmer…

And Mako began to scream in pain as blue electricity coursed over his body, originating from the crystal around his ankle!

After a second or two, the electricity stopped and Mako got back to his feet, a few wisps of smoke rising from his clothes.

"I really don't like having to punish you." He sighed, "But sometimes I'm afraid it's the only way kids learn their lessons."

He looked toward Tim and Zeffie, both of whom smiled at him.

"You two needn't stay, this only concerns the others." Needlez sighed.

"But Zeffie wants to watch!" The young girl whined.

Needlez smirked a bit.

"Very well lass, you can watch. Tim too, if he wants." Needlez agreed.

"Thanks!" Tim smiled.

Gold, Brian, and Celeste all walked forward and stood next to Mako. The four of them each went to one knee and Needlez frowned at them.

"Yew know why I'm disappointed?" He asked.

"Because we failed to get the talent you require." Brian stated, looking up at Needlez with a hint of fear.

"Not just that." Needlez sighed, "It's also because yew each failed because yew made AN AMAZINGLY BONE-HEADED MISTAKE!"

Needlez took a few deep breaths and turned to Brian. He held up his watch again, but this time Brian's crystal began to project an image into the air in front of him, showing his duel with Joey!

"Neat!" Zeffie said with a grin.

"I'd like to think yew four can learn from yer mistakes." Needlez explained, "So I had yer crystals record yer duels. Anybody want to guess what Brian's biggest mistake was?"

"He never used any of his own spell or trap cards?" Zeffie pointed out.

"Exactly!" Needlez beamed, "Trying to duel with just monsters gives new meaning to the phrase 'not playing with a full deck.' Not to mention, Brian, yew completely ignored your opponent's facedown traps!"

Brian watched as his recorded image pointed straight toward Joey, commanding Zorc to attack with a look of pure rage on his face.

"_Is that really me?"_ Brian thought, _"Ugh…I've never dueled like _that _before! I was always the one reminding Tim not to lose his temper when we started playing."_

The image changed suddenly, showing cards on the ground between Brian and Bakura!

"This is what really got to me lad." Needlez frowned, "Yew went to duel someone who was NOT YOUR TARGET!"

Brian drew back, and Needlez took a deep breath.

"Joseph is yer target. JO-SEPH, yew understand?" Needlez shouted.

"Yes sir, I'm sorry sir. I thought maybe that other boy could be of some assistance since he knew Yugi." Brian explained.

"Moving on," Neddlez sighed as Gold's crystal shimmered, "Mr. Gold demonstrates another way you can lose at this game."

The image of Gold laughing at Ishizu came up, as Zeffie ordered Zephyros to attack. The young girl had a cold, evil look in her eye.

"Oops, one sec I need to fast forward." Needlez frowned as the images began to flash by.

Brian shivered a bit though. He glanced at Zeffie who was watching the flashing images and bouncing excitedly on her toes, her eyes trying to follow the video's progress.

"_What happened to Zeffie in that duel?"_ Brian thought, _"That girl in the recording…Just by looking in their eyes I can see that there is a major difference."_

"Here we are!" Needlez announced.

Everyone watched as Ishizu activated Card of Sanctity, and then Card Destruction. Gold and Zeffie were left with nothing in their decks and Ishizu still had some cards left. Gold then broke his seal and charged at Ishizu, a look of pure anger and rage on his face. The video quickly faded.

"_Okay, attacking someone like that just isn't like Gold." _ Brian thought, _"I mean sure, he used an underhanded tactic to start the duel based on what Zeffie told me yesterday when they got back, but Gold never struck me as the type to react so violently to losing a card game. He's very patient, rarely even raises his voice to Zeffie!"_

"Now then, Gold, yew remember the game is called 'Duel Monsters' don't yew?" Needlez asked.

"Yeah." Gold muttered nervously.

"That would imply that players summon monsters to fight each other." Needlez pointed out, "But yew didn't attack, YE LET WEE ZEFFIE DO ALL THE WORK!"

"But if Zeffie hadn't taken out Marik, I could have won 'cause the countdown would've ended on my turn!" Gold shouted.

"I don't need yer excuses, yew may run Final Countdown but that doesn't give ye an excuse to not attack. If yew had done as good a job at lowering Ishizu's life points as yew had lowering yer own you could've won easily!" Needlez pointed out.

Gold fell silent and Celeste's ring began to glow. The crystal displayed Celeste and Yugi facing off, just as Celeste sacrificed St. Joan to Cruz. The recorded Celeste had a blank, uncaring expression her face. Once more, Brian grew concerned.

"_Celeste was in two minds in that duel." _He thought, _"She was usually so angry when one of her monsters got wasted, but then she went all stoic. Something is very wrong here…"_

"Celeste, ye did a fine job on Yugi, and yew almost won, too!" Needlez grinned.

Then the elderly gentleman frowned.

"Unfortunately, I believe that this move blew it for ye. If yew had a little patience yew could have used Manju and the others to defend until yew drew Premature Burial or such, and brought back Joan. Then she could have attacked and you'd have Cruz to help finish off Yugi. DID YE EVER STOP TO CONSIDER DOING THAT!"

"It's hard to consider waiting for a card when the building is falling down around you!" Celeste declared, glaring at Tim.

Tim smiled and began to hum his version of the railroad song again. Needlez ignored them both as Mako's crystal began to shine, projecting him surrendering to Mai.

"_Now that really doesn't make sense."_ Brian thought, _"Mako is a professional, I'll bet he's faced worse than that dragon. But for some reason he chickened out! I don't get it, why would he do something like that. Especially given what he said in the other room."_

"Mako, yew do remember Hydros had a special ability which could have stopped Mai right?" Needlez asked.

"Yes…" Mako confessed, cringing in fear.

"THEN WHAT HAPPENNED, DID YOU FORGET ABOUT IT?" Needlez yelled.

"Actually, yes." Mako squeaked, "I panicked and…"

Suddenly he stopped. Everyone looked over at Celeste who was rummaging through her backpack.

"Celeste, what exactly do yew think yer doing, lass?" Needlez asked

Celeste looked up and held up a white hair accessory.

"Oh I was just looking for scrunchy for my hair. Sorry please continue your rant." She explained.

"My, My, umm... Lass what did ye do with that hair clip I gave ye? I hope ye did what I asked ye to do with it." Needlez said.

Celeste stood at attention, quickly pocketing the scrunchy.

"Of course, secondary mission completed as you instructed." Celeste announced

Needlez actually smiled. Turning back to the rest of the group

"Well, it seems that we'll have a second chance at salvation my Elemental Duelists." Needlez announced.

"What did you do?" Brian whispered.

"Sorry, top secret." Celeste answered.

Needlez was smiling as he turned around and walked toward a passage behind the throne.

"This way everyone!" He ordered.

The Elemental Duelists quickly followed Needlez through the short tunnel, and soon arrived in another chamber. This one was considerably smaller, around the size of a college dormitory room. In the center was a large pillar made of strange green crystal with a stone tablet at the base, and inside the pillar was a mummified corpse. The desiccated body was clothed in fine white robes, with several golden necklaces and a fist sized piece of green rock in a large, golden headdress.

Surrounding the pillar itself were six stone tablets, spaced evenly around it in a circle. Each one had a different symbol on it.

One had a carving of an infinity symbol, the second was a flame, next came one with three jagged lines, and after that was a five-pointed star. The fifth one depicted three wavy lines, and the last had a cloud shape on it.

"Tim, Zeffie, if yew would." Needlez grinned.

Tim and Zeffie nodded and stepped forward. Tim stood facing the pillar, with the fire tablet between it and him, and Zeffie did the same with the cloud tablet.

"Just like I taught ye." Needlez requested.

Tim raised his hands toward the ceiling, the gem in his manacle blazing with red light. A column of flame immediately leapt up around him (during no harm to him or his clothes) as he began to speak.

"To the Elemental Master, I offer the power of fire. A greater strength than what is held within this tablet, may the warmth of life that was taken from him be returned!" Tim declared.

A marble sized orb of red light floated out of the gem, and hovered down into the flame tablet. The fire symbol began to glow red, and a beam of red light shot from the tablet, connecting to the pillar.

The body in the pillar began to glow with a red aura, and the pillar radiated a gentle heat which spread across the room.

Zeffie raised her arms, and a tornado shot up around her body, blowing her hair up and allowing the green stone in her circlet to shine through.

"To the Elemental Master, Zeffie offers the power of wind. A greater power than what is held within this tablet, may the breath of life that was taken from him be returned!" Zeffie intoned.

Like Tim, a sphere of green light floated out of Zeffie's crystal and into the tablet, which began to glow green. A beam of green energy shot from the cloud tablet, and a shuddering gasp could be heard from the column. Soon the room was filled with the sound of a steady breath.

"Music to me ears." Needlez smiled, "Soon my former body, the body in which I was known as the Elemental Master will be restored. With it I will do what my enemies stopped me from doing 7000 years ago. I will finally be able to turn this world into the Utopia it was meant to be, and yew six will receive yer rewards!"

Zeffie and Tim walked back to the group, both seemingly exhausted but proud of what they had accomplished.

"Now then, I'm sorry I snapped at ye." Needlez apologized to the other four, "But it is for the good of the world that we are fighting. So you'll excuse me if I seem a touch…"

"Uptight?" Celeste finished for him.

"Aye, that's the word I wanted!" Needlez smiled, "Such a clever girl ye are Celeste, that's why you're the best of my duelists! Now why don't the six of ye head to the card library down the hall. Help yourselves to whatever ye think may help take down Yugi and his friends, because as soon as we know when the best time to strike is, yew four are going to get yer rematches!"

Celeste raised her hand.

"Umm, I think that I've got that covered." She said.

Everyone raised an eyebrow at this statement.

"When I was hanging out with Yugi and his friends, they mentioned meeting at Kaiba Corp.'s Research Facility downtown, so if we strike all at the same moment, we can separate them and have the element of surprise." She suggested.

Needlez turned to the others.

"Yew hear that? You have 'til tomorrow to prepare so git moving!" Needlez ordered.

"Yes sir!" The Elemental Duelists chorused.

The six of them headed down another tunnel, but as they did Brian stopped and looked back toward the column.

"_Something is wrong here."_ He thought as he fingered the crystal in his necklace, _"Since we met Needlez I've felt something…strange. The others may have their doubts about him, they may not, but I can always sense when someone isn't telling me the whole story."_

"Hey Brian, get in here or you'll miss all the best cards!" Tim shouted from down the hall.

Brian walked toward the others, lost in thought.

"_I don't know what Needlez is really planning, but something just doesn't fit with all this. I'll go along for now, but I'll need to keep an eye open…"_

_Next time, it's time to go on the offense! The Elemental Duelists are moving in, and nothing will stop them from taking what they want! Can Yugi and crew weather these next attacks, or will Needlez be saying hello to his Utopia? The story continues with Brian and Joey's rematch in our next chapter:_

_Darkness Revealed_

_See ya then._


	11. Darkness Revealed

Disclaimer: We still do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the rights to it. Sorry folks. We do own all rights to original characters or cards unless otherwise noted.

….

Hey, not all our disclaimers can be funny ones!

A/N: Here's a treat for you all: Two duels in one chapter and a fun fact! Did you know that mummies have been found all over the world? They may not all fit the stereotype set by Egypt, but civilizations such as the Aztecs or Mayans did go through similar processes of preserving dead bodies.

_Previously_

_The Elemental Duelists gathered back at their home base, and their leader, Needlez, gave those who failed another chance. Brian seems a touch suspicious of Needlez's intentions, and maybe rightly so. Yugi has learned that the Elemental Duelists have a connection to an ancient civilization, and the megalomaniacal mystic that led to its destruction. We now continue with our story in:_

**Chapter 10**

**Darkness Revealed**

That evening, Brian was sitting on his bed in his own private chamber of the cave system. Needlez had given each of the Elemental Duelists his or her own room, furnished with a plain bed, a nightstand with a lamp, and a desk with a chair at which to plan strategies and work on their decks.

Brian was looking through a few of his spare cards, trying to focus on what to add next, but his thoughts kept returning to the videos he had seen today.

"_Celeste, Tim, Mako, Zeffie, Gold…Even me."_ He thought, _"It doesn't make sense! During those duels, the minute things got bad for us; it was like someone else took over and gave us a complete personality overhaul."_

Looking over two cards in particular, Brian thought for a minute and then placed them in his deck, removing another two cards as he did so.

"_Interesting strategy."_ A voice commented in his head.

Brian looked up and saw a sphere of yellow light floating in front of him.

"_Oh, hi Celeste."_ Brian thought as he put his deck on the nightstand.

"_Your deck is pretty interesting."_ Celeste commented, _"Almost every monster in it is a dark attribute, but other than that and the spells that favor them there's no real connection."_

"_What are you…" _Brian started.

"_You have fiends, zombies, spellcasters, and I could have sworn that card you just added was a…" _Celeste explained.

"_My cards are none of your business!"_ Brian interrupted.

Celeste went silent, and Brian sighed.

"_Sorry Celeste, I'm just a touch…High strung at the moment."_ Brian explained, _"And those two cards you saw me add are…pretty special to me. They were the first cards I ever won, and I promised I'd always keep them with me."_

"_They're pretty rare."_ Celeste commented, _"So why didn't you use them before? Didn't think you'd need them against Joey?"_

"_I just have this feeling, gnawing at the back of my mind." _Brian explained, _"This feeling like dueling against Joey was wrong. Celeste, do you think what we're doing is right?"_

The ball of light dimmed a bit, as though it was thinking, and then brightened back up.

"_Well, I do wish that there was a better way we could do this. Yugi and his friends were so nice, letting me hangout with them like they did. They reminded me of my friends back in California!"_ Celeste explained, _"But Needlez says there is no other way. Besides, it's not like we've taken something that's irreplaceable right? They can get their talent back through practice. And I'm sure that once Earth is a utopia, we'll be forgiven."_

"_But if there were some other way to make the world better?" _Brian asked.

"_I'd leave Needlez for that path in a heartbeat." _Celeste assured him, _"And I'd bet any of the others would too. Some of them may be a touch eccentric, but I doubt they like the idea of unwarranted attacks like these any more than we do."_

Brian lay down on his bed, looking over to the duel disk on the desk.

"_You ought to get some rest, it's almost midnight." _Celeste pointed out.

"_Yeah, don't worry."_ Brian mumbled.

The light blinked out, and Brian closed his eyes. He slowly allowed his thoughts to wander, and reach out to Tim.

A fist sized fireball appeared over head.

"_Wuzzat?" _Tim's groggy voice echoed.

"_Sorry Tim, can we talk for a minute?" _Brian asked.

"_Uh…sure, what about?"_ Tim thought.

"_It's about what we're doing…_" Brian started.

-------------------

The next morning, Brian sat up with a start as a flash of blue-green light filled his room!

"_Rise and shine everyone!"_ Needlez's voice sounded out, _"We've got a busy day ahead of us, so there's no time to sleep in. I want everyone in the Throne Chamber, and in full ceremonial dress!"_

Brian groaned.

"_Something wrong with that?"_ The light asked.

"_No Lord Needlez."_ Brian thought as he got out of bed, picked up his duel disk and deck, and vanished into a pool of darkness.

-------------

In the Throne Chamber, Needlez smiled as the six familiar columns shot up in front of him.

Brian stepped out of the column of shadow. He was now wearing a pair of black silken pants, and a similar black shirt. The sleeves reached to his elbows, and his duel disk was attached between the wrist and elbow of his left arm. On his right wrist was a black, spiked wrist band, and he was now wearing a black cape that came down to the floor, along with a hood. The whole outfit had swirls of purple and dark-blue running through it, and his necklace was hanging outside his shirt.

The light column faded, revealing Celeste in a new getup as well. She wore a gown which looked like Ishizu's only spun from silver thread. It had a large, yellow collar which came down to about her chest and went about the same distance down all around. Her duel disk was strapped to her left arm, and the right arm had a band of silver and gold wrapped around it from wrist to elbow. Her long hair had been tied back into a braid on the back of her head with a pure white ribbon, and her ring was still glistening on her right hand.

Zeffie giggled and jumped out of the wind column, not even waiting for it to disappear. She was wearing green pants rolled up so they only came down to her knees, and she had on a billowy green shirt with huge sleeves. It seemed a size to big for her since her shoulders were in the collar. The sleeve over her right hand had been pinned down by her duel disk, and her left hand was barely visible poking out of the sleeve. She had brushed her hair back again to show off her circlet, and had pinned her hair in place by a pair of what appeared to be eagle feathers.

The fire column extinguished, showing Tim. He now wore a red jacket with the kanji for "fire" written in black on the front and back. The jacket was open in the front, revealing an orange and red shirt which looked as though it was burning. His pants were like Brian's, only red with an orange flame design at the bottom of each leg. The sleeves of his jacket were rolled up, showing his manacle around his left arm and a duel disk on his right.

The column of rocks fell away, and Gold appeared. He had on a brown trench coat, with the three jagged lines from his seal on the back. It was open it front, showing Gold's bare, muscular chest. He had on a pair of worn-out grey jeans. The sleeves of the coat had been rolled back to his elbow on his left arm, on which he had his duel disk, and his right sleeve had been rolled up just enough to make his bracelet visible.

The water column collapsed, revealing Mako. He was still wearing his blue head band, vest, and his shorts. In fact, it looked as though there had been no change made at all to his wardrobe. He even still wore the anklet around his leg, its blue crystal glinting serenely.

The others all stared at Mako for a few seconds.

"What?" He asked.

"How come your costume doesn't look any different than your normal clothes?" Brian asked.

"Actually, this outfit has a higher thread count than my usual one." Mako explained, "See how it sort of shines if you look at it right?"

Zeffie tilted her head a bit and smiled.

"Cool!" She exclaimed.

"Enough with admiring each other's fashion sense." Needlez commanded, "We'll need you in those costumes after we have the talent we require."

"How come?" Celeste asked.

"Those outfits are slightly modernized versions of the ones worn by the wicked mystics who destroyed me." Needlez explained, "The ones who stopped me from creating a paradise for mankind, just so they could have some job security!"

"Oh calm down Lordy Needlez, we're here now!" Zeffie cheered.

Needlez smiled.

"Aye, thank ye lass. Those outfits just remind me so much of the mystics, and for that matter so do your master cards." Needlez sighed.

"You mean Zorc and the others?" Brian queried.

"Aye. Those monsters were the most powerful creatures the other mystics called in. It took me time after my resurrection, but I was eventually able to capture and preserve them in cards." Needles explained, "I hoped that in the hands of capable duelists, those poor creatures might be purified."

"I'd say we've been doing a good job with that." Gold stated.

"_I'd be tempted to disagree."_ Brian said to himself, _"I spoke to everybody, and they each gave me the same answer as Celeste: They don't like having to take someone's talent, but if it's the only way then it's the only way. Something just still seems wrong…"_

Brian stopped thinking as Needlez glanced in his direction. The two locked eyes for a moment, and then Needlez turned toward Celeste who cleared her throat.

"Lord Needlez, what are we going to do if we can't beat Yugi and his friends this time?" Celeste asked.

"So glad you asked." Needlez grinned.

He pulled out his watch and held it up.

Brian, Celeste, Mako, and Gold gasped as their crystals began to shimmer, and then dimmed.

"What was that?" Mako exclaimed.

"Just a little precaution." Needlez explained, "You see, the mystics never meant for me to find a way to restore my power to its fullest extent. I was lucky to find a loophole in the spell they used to imprison me, but I fear the opportunity may pass us by if we take too long trying to get talent."

"So in plain English…" Gold started.

"I took away your ability to break your seals." Needlez said simply.

"WHAT!" The Elemental Duelists exclaimed.

"Now calm down everyone!" Needlez said, "It's just talent, you'll have plenty of time to get it back later. But right now time is of the essence, if we have to use your talent instead of a world champions' then…"

The duelists were looking at each other, and then Celeste nodded.

"Understood." She sighed, "We'll get you what you need."

"That's a good girl." Needlez grinned, "Now you all know the way to the Research Facility right?"

"Yes!" The duelists chorused.

"Good, now git going!" Needlez ordered.

The columns of energy shot up, but as they did Brian couldn't help but focus on one thought.

"_Needlez is too desperate to get what he wants."_ Brian noticed.

Just before he vanished, Brian and Needlez locked eyes again. Brian gasped as the shadows swallowed him up.

"_And he knows I'm suspicious!"_ Brian realized as he began to follow the others.

-----------------------------------

In the meantime; Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea were getting off a bus downtown at about 10 a.m. Classes had been completely cancelled for the next week or two, until the school could be repaired. That of course meant all the students would have to make up their classes over what would have been the first few days of summer break, but that was currently the least of the team's worries.

All four of the teens were wearing their usual after school outfits, and Yugi and Joey had their duel disks strapped to their arms. Yugi quickly glanced at the nearby street sign to get his bearings.

"All right guys," Yugi announced, "Kaiba's research facility should be just a few blocks east of here."

"So where's Bakura, wasn't he going to meet us at the bus stop?" Tea asked.

"He said he had to take care of something, didn't want to say what." Yugi explained.

"And Serenity?" Tea continued.

"Shopping with her mom." Yugi explained.

"She wanted to come, but I told her that this really only concerned me." Joey muttered, "So she agreed to stay with mom today."

The quartet started down the street, passing by stores, restaurants, and huge office buildings. As they were walking, Joey was nervously adjusting his disk's position on his arm, and he continued to glance nervously at small shadows.

"Joey, could you relax?" Tea sighed, "I doubt that dark duelist is going to attack you on a sidewalk while we're downtown. There are too many people who'd see him!"

"I don't feel like takin' any chances." Joey confessed.

"That's new." Tristan commented, "Normally we can't stop you from taking stupid risks."

"What's that supposed to mean!" Joey shouted.

He and Tristan were quickly trying to place one another in a headlock, and Tea actually smiled.

"Ah…Now that's my idea of a 'return to normalcy!'" She commented.

--------------------------------------

It didn't take long for Yugi and the others to reach Kaiba Corporation Research Facility. It was pretty hard to miss. It was only the only building around that had to be at least fifty stories tall and had a very lifelike statue of a Blue Eyes White Dragon out front. The walk way leading to the door was bordered by a well manicured lawn, and each of the ground floor windows had a flower box attached to it. Each box was filled with a variety of flowers, creating a virtual rainbow beneath each window.

"I think we found the place." Yugi commented.

The others all nodded in silent agreement, and started up the path to the door. Suddenly a purple car pulled up right behind them. A familiar blond woman in a white shirt and purple jacket (both of which failed to cover her mid-riff), a short purple skirt, and purple high-heeled boots stepped out of the car. She quickly placed two coins in the nearby parking meter, turned toward Kaiba Corp…

And nearly fell over as Joey shouted to her.

"MAI!" Joey shouted happily, "Is it really you?"

Mai shuffled her feet nervously a little.

"_Why did I agree to come here?" _She asked herself, _"I'm not ready to see these guys again…"_

Mai was shaken from her thought as she realized that Joey was now standing right in front of her.

"What's wrong Mai?" Joey asked.

"Nothing." Mai sighed, "It's…good to see you guys again."

Joey smiled, and turned toward the others.

"Guys, can you believe it? It's Mai!" Joey shouted.

"We got it when you started bouncing like an overexcited puppy." Tea sighed, "Now come on."

The team continued toward the door, and Mai reluctantly followed them.

-----------------------------------------------------

Inside, Yugi and his friends discovered the building was even bigger. There was a huge directory labeled with several numbers, pointing out holographic simulators, program design rooms, even an employee gym (complete with swimming pool!)!

"The employees get their own gym!" Joey exclaimed as he stared at the map.

"Kaiba's such a workaholic." Tea sighed, "I bet he does everything he can to keep his employees working here as long as possible."

Yugi and the others walked over to the receptionist, who was busy filing her nails.

"Um…excuse me." Yugi said.

The receptionist immediately screamed and ducked beneath her desk!

"Are you okay?" Tristan asked.

The receptionist peaked out from her hiding place, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, I just had a few…difficulties with kids at my last job." She said nervously, "I worked at Mr. Kaiba's main office downtown until two days ago."

"The one that was set on fire?" Mai asked.

"I _really_ prefer to not think about it." The receptionist explained, "Anyway, you must be Mr. Mutoh. Mr. Kaiba's office is on the top floor. You can take the elevator just around the corner."

As Yugi and the others rounded the corner, they were shocked to see a woman in a white dress standing in front of the elevator as it opened.

"Hey, hold that please!" Tristan shouted as the woman got on.

She quickly held down the 'door open' button, allowing Yugi and his friends on.

"It is good to see you all again." She said calmly.

Yugi looked up at her, and a smile of recognition lit up his features.

"Ishizu!" He exclaimed.

"This just seems to be our day to meet up with old friends again." Tea commented.

"Tell me about," Tristan agreed, "First Mai, now Ishizu. Though if I see Underwood or Raptor I may begin to question our luck."

"We thought you'd have arrived sooner." Yugi commented.

"My flight was delayed." Ishizu admitted.

"Marik and Odion?" Yugi asked.

"Are safe back in Egypt." Ishizu assured him, "Odion is helping Marik practice in hopes that he'll regain his talent naturally."

The elevator was moving swiftly upward, and the numbers on the floor indicator continued to increase. Finally, the image of a Blue Eyes lit up, and the doors opened revealing a long hallway lined with pictures of duel monsters.

"I guess this is our floor." Yugi said as they got off.

"All this time and Kaiba is still crazy about his Blue Eyes huh?" Mai asked.

"Nice to know that some things never change, isn't it?" Joey asked.

The six of them continued in silence, passing images of Vorse Raider, La Jinn, and (of course) several variations of the Blue Eyes White Dragon. At the end, they came to a door marked:

Seto Kaiba

President and CEO

They slowly opened the door, and entered a well furnished office. There were a few more Blue Eyes pictures, but there was also a potted plant in each corner, and a water cooler across the room. Right next to the cooler was an oak desk, behind which sat the young corporate giant.

"Glad to see everyone could make it." Kaiba said.

The other six stepped forward and gathered around the desk. Kaiba pressed a button on the speaker on his desk, which was also currently loaded with several cards and a laptop computer (which was turned off).

"Clara, hold all my calls." Kaiba ordered.

"Yes Mr. Kaiba." The receptionist from earlier responded.

Kaiba looked up at his guests.

"All right then, so what exactly do we know about these guys." He asked.

"What, you ain't even gonna offer us drinks?" Joey asked.

"Don't toy with me, I'm in no mood." Kaiba muttered darkly.

"There's six of them." Yugi announced, "Each one uses a different element as their deck theme. But I think I know who their leader is."

"That 'Lord Needlez' the fire one spoke of before he left." Kaiba guessed.

"Exactly," Yugi said, "And I have some info on him, but I'm not sure if you'll like it…"

----------------------------------------------------

Down in the lobby, Clara (the receptionist) was now painting her nails red, when a cool breeze blew through her chin length blond hair. Looking up, she was surprised to see loose papers, paper clips, and other debris being pulled into a small tornado that appeared on the floor!

The tornado increased in size, and a young girl with short blond hair and a strange outfit jumped out of it!

"Hello all you happy people!" She cheered, "Zeffie, the Elemental Duelist of Wind is here! That means you all have to leave."

Clara was staring at the young girl, when a column of fire shot from the ground and Tim stepped out.

"Let me show you how it's done Zeffie." He smiled.

"Not you again!" Clara shrieked.

Tim smiled as he saw the young woman.

"Oh hi! Remember me?" He mused.

Clara quickly pressed the red alarm button under her desk and then ran out the door screaming.

"I guess so." Zeffie said.

Guards began to plow into the reception area, holding up their weapons. Tim and Zeffie both smiled, then stood back-to-back.

Half the gaurds immediately felt the guns in their hands heat up. They dropped them with shouts of pain. The other half found their weapons pulled from their hands. The guns now floated in mid-air, pointing back at them!

"All clear!" Zeffie shouted.

Four more columns shot up, and the other four Elemental Duelists stepped forward.

"Remember, we each only have one shot at this." Celeste said, "So let's try not to mess this up!"

"We can keep the guards busy for you." Tim explained.

"At least you're good for something." Mako mumbled.

"Let's go!" Celeste shouted.

------------------------------

"And you expect me to believe that some 7000 year-old mummy is taking talent for some as-yet unidentified purpose?" Kaiba asked.

"Even I find this one a little far fetched." Joey stated.

"But still," Mai commented, "There has to be someone who's taking the talent these guys are stealing. Like how Dartz was collecting the souls…"

Mai stopped and cast her gaze to the ground. Joey reached over to put a hand on her shoulder, when an alarm began to blare!

"Now what?" Kaiba shouted over the din.

"Now this!" A new voice shouted.

Joey screamed as the shadow of Kaiba's desk suddenly wrapped around him. He struggled against it, but Brian jumped out and placed one hand on the blob of darkness.

"Excuse me." He said simply.

"JOEY!" Mai and Yugi shouted.

Brian and Joey suddenly vanished into the floor. Suddenly, the water cooler began to rattle. A blast of water shot out, knocking Tristan and Tea out of the way, and slammed into Mai! She was sealed in a blob of water, and Mako materialized next to her. Without a word, the two blasted out the door at breakneck speed.

A flash of light suddenly filled the room.

"Not her!" Tea shouted, "Yugi, watch out!"

The warning came too late. Celeste appeared behind Yugi and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Like Mako, she didn't say a word as she and the boy vanished in a second flash.

"This is bad." Tristan shouted, "This is very, very bad."

"But how could they know about us meeting here?" Kaiba asked.

"Celeste was with us when we planned it." Tea explained, "And she's the one that just grabbed Yugi!"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and a huge hole appeared in the side of the office. Outside, blue skies were visible, but so was Gold standing on a platform of grass covered soil.

"WHAT IS WITH YOU PEOPLE AND DESTROYING MY BUILDINGS!" Kaiba screamed.

"Send me a bill." Gold grumbled, "Now I hate to be a pest, but I need to borrow Ms. Ishtar for a bit."

Ishizu stepped forward.

"What are you doing?" Tea shouted.

"It won't do any good to try and resist his wishes." Ishizu explained, "You needn't worry, he won't defeat me."

"We'll see about that." Gold grinned as Ishizu stepped on to his platform, "And we apologize for the trouble Mr. Kaiba. Don't worry, nobodies been hurt, and all the damage can be easily repaired."

"I'm on the top floor!" Kaiba shouted.

"Okay, _semi-_easily then." Gold stated.

And with that he and Ishizu dropped out of sight.

"What else could possibly go wrong?" Tristan asked.

"Seto!" A voice shouted over the speaker.

"Mokuba, what's wrong?" Kabia shouted.

"I'm safe don't worry, but I've spotted that fire kid who came after you before." Mokuba explained.

Kaiba paled.

"Mokuba, stay away from him!" He ordered.

"No way, he's gonna pay for what he did." Mokuba stated.

There was a click, and Mokuba's voice cut out. Kaiba shot Tristan an ugly look.

"You just had to ask." He growled.

---------------------------------

In the reception area, Tim was sitting in a chair, watching as Zeffie pounded on the snack dispenser.

"Zeffie wants her animal crackers!" The girl shouted, "Zeffie put in money now GIMME!"

Tim chuckled as Zeffie kicked the machine, then finally walked back to him.

"Giving up?" Tim asked.

Zeffie turned back to the machine and shot a blast of wind, shattering the glass covering over the snacks. Cheering, she skipped over and pulled out the bag of sweets.

"Zeffie, did you notice how much those crackers are?" Tim asked.

"The ones at school are fifty cents, and Needlez said that would be about five-hundred yen so…" Zeffie started.

"The crackers are seven-hundred fifty yen." Tim pointed out.

"Oh." Zeffie said.

She walked over to the machine and dropped another coin into it.

"All better!" She said happily as she turned around.

"Got you!" A new voice shouted.

Tim turned around and was surprised to see Mokuba standing behind him. The black haired boy wore the same shit and jeans as he had two days ago, but now had a duel disk on his arm.

"You're the one who attacked my brother Seto!" Mokuba shouted, "He been so shaken by his loss that he just can't seem to duel right. I don't know what that seal card of yours did, but I'm gonna make you sorry!"

Tim smiled and stood up, clicking his disk into place.

"Zeffie, why don't you go find the others. See how they're doing." Tim requested.

"But Zeffie wants to play too." The girl whined.

"Sorry, but this is my match." Tim declared.

"Then let's do this." Mokuba announced

Zeffie sighed and vanished in a column of wind.

--------------------------------------------------

Joey screamed as the shadows around him vanished, and he was dumped unceremoniously onto the floor. Brian appeared standing over him with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, should have warned you about the rough landings." Brian explained, "You okay?"

"All things considered, yes." Joey admitted, "But I have a feeling that won't be true for long."

Brian cast his gaze to the floor.

"I don't want to hurt you, none of us do." He confessed, "But for the sake of the world, I'll defeat you."

"Where are we anyway?" Joey asked.

"In the basement of the research facility." Brian explained.

"And what's with the new get-up?" Joey queried, pointing at Brian's costume.

"Rather not talk about it." Brian said simply, "Look, Needlez ordered me to duel you. So can we just get started?"

"If this Needlez ordered you to jump off a bridge, would you?" Joey challenged, "From the sound of things you've been letting him control you for way too long."

"That doesn't concern you." Brian announced as his duel disk activated, "Now let's get started."

Joey reluctantly turned on his disk, and both players drew.

Brian LP: 8000

Joey LP: 8000

"Seeing as I lost our last duel, I think I'll go first." Brian stated as he placed two cards into his disk, "I'll open with Newdoria (1200/800) in attack mode and one card face down."

An orange skinned demon wearing green pants, a black vest, and black straps over its eyes appeared on the field, along with the back of a card lying behind it.

"Oh, and before I forget, I'll activate a very familiar spell card." Brian continued as Joey's eyes widened in fear.

"Oh-no! You don't mean…" Joey began.

Brian placed a card in his disk's field zone and a wall of shadows surrounded the area.

"That's right." Brian said.

Black infinity tattoos appeared on his arms and his eyes turned into pools of shadows, and at the same time a similar marking appeared on the floor.

"I activate the Elemental Seal of Darkness! And now, I end my turn." Brian called out.

Newdoria (1400/800) let out a yell as black marks like Brian's etched themselves onto its body.

Joey drew and smiled as he held up one of his cards.

"All right! Time for your monster to face my Alligator Sword (1500/1200)!" Joey declared as he placed the card on his disk.

A monster that looked like a humanoid alligator wearing armor jumped out of the wall of shadows, brandishing a curved blade.

"Attack!" Joey shouted.

The reptilian monster charged at Newdoria. Just as the scaly swordsman reached it though, the orange demon grabbed hold of it and exploded in a blast of dark energy. When the smoke cleared, both monsters were gone!

"What happened?" Joey asked, staring at his opponent.

Brian smirked and pointed to where his monster once stood.

"It's easy Joey. Newdoria's special ability lets me destroy one of your monsters when he's destroyed in battle. I still take the damage though, so don't worry about that." Brian said.

Brian LP: 7900

Joey LP: 8000

Joey felt like smacking himself, but before he could Brian's face down card turned over and a long rope shot into the wall of shadows around the field.

"Now that I lost a monster in battle I can use my Rope of Life trap." Brian explained, "I just discard my entire hand to bring back the monster I just lost with an extra 800 attack points."

As he slid his cards into the discard slot, the rope pulled it self out of the shadows carrying Newdoria (2200/800) who actually seemed to be quite pleased with the results of the last battle. Brian just smirked again.

"You know the old saying Joey: Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Joey gritted his teeth.

"I lay two cards down and end my turn." He said.

The two cards appeared in front of him.

-------------------------------------

Tim and Mokuba had moved away from the snack machine, Tim standing with his back to that area. Both duelists had activated their disks.

"I'm going first, so prepare to lose!" Mokuba snarled as he drew his cards

Mokuba LP: 8000

Tim LP: 8000

"Oh yeah, I'm _reeeeeealll_ intimidated by the Lollipop Guild!" Tim joked as he picked up his opening hand.

Mokuba shot an ugly look at his foe as he placed a card on his disk. In a flash of light a green skinned child, about as tall as Mokuba, wearing black clothes and carrying a cross-shaped sword appeared.

"Say hello to Silent Swordsman Lv 3 (1000/1000)!" Mokuba announced, "And then I'll lay these two cards facedown and end my turn."

Two brown cards appeared behind the child as Tim drew his first card.

"Hello Oompa-Loompa number two!" Tim said as he placed a card on his disk, "Meet Flame Ruler (1500/1600)."

In a burst of fire, the tan man with blue hair materialized! Suddenly a hole opened up beneath the Flame ruler, sending him plummeting off the field!

"Flame Ruler, meet my Bottomless Trap Hole!" Mokuba announced pointing to his now face up card, "So sorry you had to go so soon."

Tim grew deathly serious as the first of Mokuba's cards faded.

"Three cards facedown. End turn." He declared.

Three cards flashed into existence in front of Tim.

Mokuba smiled as he drew, and a glow surrounded his monster!

"Time for you to learn something new about my monster!" Mokuba exclaimed, "You see, when my swordsman is face up on the field, I can sacrifice him during my standby phase to summon his next evolution!"

The light faded away, revealing a taller, older version of the previous monster, carrying a _much _bigger sword.

"This is my Silent Swordsman Level 5 (2300/1000)." Mokuba explained.

The monster pointed his sword at Tim, when a hole appeared in the floor and swallowed him right up!

"What the!" Mokuba shouted.

Then he saw that a Bottomless Trap Hole card was now face up on Tim's side of the field

"Monkey see, Monkey do." Tim laughed as his trap faded, "And I made a monkey out of you!"

Mokuba glared angrily at his opponent as he placed a new card on his disk. Immediately, a gray and orange baby dragon materialized in front of him.

"That wasn't funny, but a direct attack from my Armed Dragon Lv 3 (1200/600) will be!" Mokuba yelled.

The small dragon took a deep breath, and shot a blast of pressurized air right into Tim's face! Tim flinched and stumbled backward.

Mokuba LP: 8000

Tim LP: 6800

"Good thing it's just a hologram." Tim said, "I guess it's my turn now."

Mokuba nodded and Tim drew his card.

"Now I summon Great Angus (1800/600) in attack mode!" Tim called out as he slammed a card onto his disk.

A huge, red boar-like monster wielding a club jumped onto the field with a ferocious bellow! The Armed Dragon cringed at the sight of the huge beast.

"Plus, I'll use Mystical Space Typhoon on your facedown card." Tim added.

The fire duelist slid a card into his disk, and a blast of wind immediately shot away Mokuba's only facedown card.

"You ever eat beef stew Mokuba?" Tim asked, "And if you did, did you ever see the beef get even? Great Angus attacks your dragon with ferocious charge!"

Great Angus lunged forward, slamming his club into Mokuba's dragon! The little monster roared as it was knocked into the wall behind Mokuba and disappeared!

Mokuba gaze didn't waver though.

"_I'll defeat him…For Seto's sake." _Mokuba thought

Mokuba LP: 7400

Tim LP: 6800

-------------------------------------

Brian drew his next card and looked it over.

"Well, would you look at that, I got another monster! I summon Mystic Tomato (1600/1100) in attack mode." Brian announced as he placed his card onto the field..

A large tomato with eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth materialized on the field and blew a raspberry at Joey.

"I guess it's time to attack! Go Newdoria!" Brian ordered.

The orange fiend lunged forward, but then one of Joey's cards flipped over!

"Nice try." Joey stated, "But I activate Magic Arm Shield, which lets me take one of your monsters and use it to defend myself!"

A pair of grabber arms appeared on the field and snatched up the Mystic Tomato, which let out a gasp of horror as it was pulled in front of Newdoria. The fiend didn't stop however, and punched the tomato causing it to burst into fragments.

Brian LP: 7300

Joey LP: 8000

Brian just shrugged in a good-natured fashion as a single seed landed on his side of the field. A pool of shadow gathered around the seed, and Brian picked up his deck.

"Hey, what do you think your doing?" Joey yelled.

"Technically, my tomato was destroyed in battle." Brian explained as he placed a card on the field, "Which mean I can use its special ability to special summon a new creature of darkness with 1500 attack points or less. So I choose Witch's Apprentice (1250/500)."

A young woman with white wings, blue robes, a broom stick, and red hair appeared on the field with a fierce look in her shadowy eyes as the tattoo was placed on her body..

"Oh by the way," Brian continued, "It's technically still my battle phase, so my new monster can attack you directly. And she will."

The student Spellcaster let out a gleeful cry as she swung her broom toward Joey and launched a blast of black and purple energy at him. Joey let out a shout of pain as the bolt of magical power struck him in the chest!

Brian LP: 7300

Joey LP: 6750

"All right, it's your move." Brian declared.

Joey reached for his next card. He looked over the cards and smiled as he placed one on to the field.

"Alright, time for you to meet my Goblin Attack Force (2300/0)!" Joey declared.

Immediately, a group of green goblins in gold armor appeared in front of him.

Brian shook his head.

"That won't do you any good." He explained.

Brian pointed to Newdoria (2700/800) who had a black aura surrounded his body.

"What the heck!" Joey shouted, "How did that monster get so strong?"

Brian pointed at Witch's Apprentice, who was muttering something in a strange language.

"Didn't you know? Witch's Apprentice raises the attack of all creatures of darkness by 500 points." Brian explained.

"Well then," Joey said, "I guess that means my goblins will have to take her out for me. Go Goblin Attack Force!"

The green skinned troops lunged forward and slammed Witch's Apprentice into the ground. She screamed just before shattering to pixels.

Brian LP: 6250

Joey LP: 6750

Both Brian and Newdoria (2200/800) seemed a little drained by the attack. Joey quickly slid another card into the magic and trap zone of his duel disk.

"Now that they attacked, my goblins need to go into defense mode." Joey explained, "So I'll lay this card facedown and end my turn."

The goblins all fell to their knees, holding their weapons up in front of them.

Brian drew as a new card appeared in front of Joey, and looked at his one card hand with some disdain.

"Bad draw?" Joey taunted.

Brian frowned, and pointed at Joey's goblins

"Time for me to take care of those goblins; Newdoria attack with Binding Curse!" He ordered.

Newdoria raised its arms and orbs of black energy appeared in his hands. Just before he could fire them though, Joey's card flipped over and both monsters were sent flying into the air!

"You just never learn do you?" Joey asked, "You keep charging right into my traps, and this is a good one known as Zero Gravity. It changes the battle position of every monster on the field, which means Newdoria goes to defense mode, and my goblins go back to attack mode!"

As the monsters returned to the ground the goblins looked ready for battle again, while the demon was on its knees.

Brian had an angry look in his eyes and a scowl on his face, but he took a deep breath and waved his hand toward Joey to end his turn.

Joey drew his next card and looked it over.

"_Crud!" _Joey thought, _"If I attack his Newdoria now it will just take out my monster, but if I don't he could find a way around them!" _

Joey looked over his cards and the looked at the facedown card on the field and smiled.

"Okay!" The blond duelist shouted, "Time for me to get on the attack. I summon Marauding Captain (1200/1400) and use his special ability to special summon my Blade Knight (1600/1000)."

A blond soldier carrying two swords jumped onto the field, followed by a warrior in purple armor with a large sword. Joey pointed straight at Brian's monster.

"Marauding Captain, take out his Newdoria now!"

The warrior jumped forward and swung his blades through Newdoria, who retaliated by launching black cords at Blade Knight. The purple armored monster screamed as both he and Newdoria broke into pieces.

"Nice move Joey. Summon twice in one turn to get in an attack on me no matter what I destroy." Brian said in a congratulatory tone.

"Er…Thanks." Joey said, a confused look on his face, "But why are you being so polite now?"

Brian shrugged.

"Just how I am. I can appreciate a good move, even if I'm not the one that made it." He explained, "Like I said, I don't want to take your talent, but it's something that must be done, so I may as well enjoy this while I can."

Joey blinked, remembering the angry look from his last duel with this opponent.

"Well, okay then." He said, deciding not to bring it up, "Goblin Attack Force, attack his LP directly!"

The green monsters jumped toward Brian, when suddenly a fuzzy brown monster jumped in front of them! The Goblin immediately smashed it into a furry little pancake, which gave a feeble squeak before it disappeared. Joey gaped at the site of the monster

"Wasn't that…" He started.

"A Kuriboh? Yep, it was." Brian finished for him. "Useful little fella, I just discard him from my hand and one monster can't hurt me for one turn. Now I believe it's my turn."

The goblins once more fell to their collective knees.

"Of course, that still counts as an attack." Brian pointed out.

"Which means my monster still goes to defense mode, I know." Joey finished.

Joey pointed at his face down card and flipped it over. The image showed a split screen of a young man and a young woman.

"I was hoping to bluff you with this, but I can tell there's no point." He declared, "So I activate Roll of Faith."

A six sided die bounced out of the card and began to skip along the ground.

"Now I roll one die, and whatever number comes up is how many cards I get to draw." Joey explained, "But in return, I have to discard the same number of cards from the top of my deck afterwards."

The die bounced once more, and landed on a two. Joey pulled two cards off his deck, then slid another two from his deck to the graveyard. Joey frowned as he looked over his cards.

"That's all, your move." Joey announced.

Brian drew and smiled at the card.

"Fine by me." Brian said, "I summon the monster I just drew, Giant Orc (2400/0)!"

A grotesquely fat monster carrying a bone club materialized in front of Brian who pointed toward Joey's Marauding Captain.

"Orc, attack his monster with bone club beatdown." Brian ordered.

The orc nodded and stomped forward. He was soon standing in front of the captain, who looked up in fear. The orc swung his club down, smashing in the head of the blond warrior and sending a bone shaking shock through Joey.

Brian LP: 6250

Joey LP: 5550

"For someone who doesn't want to hurt me you're sure good at it!" Joey complained, "If you need talent so badly why don't you just use your own?"

"I can't." Brian explained, "The talent must be taken in a duel, with neither player holding back, while the seal is in play."

Brian looked up a glared angrily at the seal around him.

"I'm sorry, I hate this whole situation as much as you do." He sighed, "But I'm trying to make the world paradise, so I hope you'll forgive us."

-----------------------------------

Back in the lobby, Tim smiled as his Great Angus returned to his side of the field. Then he noticed that a huge, golden worm had appeared in front of Mokuba (huge for a worm that is, it was still about the same size as the boy).

"What in the name of all that is flammable is that thing?" Tim asked

"It's a Wicked Token (1000/1000)." Mokuba explained, "You see, that facedown card was Statue of the Wicked. When it's destroyed without being turned over, I get to special summon one of these tokens to the field to protect me!"

"That's…interesting." Tim said, "I end my turn, but why is everything you play so…short?"

Mokuba seemed to have smoke coming out of his ears as he drew his next card.

"I think you should be more concerned with the fact that, unlike Scapegoats, I can sacrifice this token for something stronger!" He yelled as he slammed a card onto his disk.

The golden worm vanished, and was replaced by a large black-and-red dragon with wicked looking spikes and blades all over its body!

Mokuba smiled.

"Meet my Armed Dragon Lv 5 (2400/1700)!" He shouted, "And now I'll have him destroy your oversized beef stew pot!"

The dragon took in a huge gulp of air, and prepared to launch it. As it attacked however, a shimmering wall of glass burst up in front of Tim! The dragon's breath struck its own reflection in the glass, and a series of cracks appeared on its body!

"Now don't go to pieces on us." Tim smiled.

Great Angus suddenly jumped forward and smashed Armed Dragon (1200/1700) into pieces!

"Oops, too late!" Tim laughed.

Mokuba LP: 6800

Tim LP: 6800

"What did you do!" Mokuba shouted.

"You've never heard of Mirror Wall?" Tim asked, pointing at his trap card.

Mokuba glared at the trap, emblazoned with a picture of a crystal barrier. He quickly placed two cards into his disk.

"Two cards facedown, your move." He announced as two more cards appeared in front of him.

Tim drew and looked at Mirror Wall.

"Seeing as I don't need this anymore, I won't pay the two-thousand life points for it." Tim stated.

The trap card immediately shattered into dust!

"Instead, I'll play my Hand of Nepthys." Tim stated as he placed a new card onto his disk.

A woman in a golden bird mask jumped onto the field, and a golden flame descended around her and Great Angus!

"Now I'll sacrifice her and Great Angus to search my deck…" Tim continued as he slid a card from his deck and placed it on the field.

A bright, golden light flared up, absorbing Great Angus and the woman, and a huge golded bird flew onto the field.

"And summon the Sacred Phoenix of Nepthys (2400/1600)!" Tim finished.

Mokuba was trembling a little as Tim slid his last card into the disk.

"Now I'll activate Meteor of Destruction!" Tim shouted.

A huge red fireball materialized above Time and swooped down. Mokuba screamed as it slammed into him, knocking him onto his back!

Mokuba LP: 5800

Tim LP: 6800

As Mokuba got back to his feet and tried to catch his breath, Tim's facedown card flipped over!

"And next, Fire Darts!" Tim continued, "I roll three dice, and you lose 100 LP times the total amount I roll! Of course, I can only activate it if I don't have any cards in my hand, but that's no problem at the moment."

Three flaming red dice bounced out of the card and on to the field. Mokuba held his breath as the numbers three, two, and four appeared on the dice. Nine tiny fireballs shot from the card, striking Mokuba all over his body and forcing him to his knees.

Mokuba LP: 4900

Tim LP: 6800

"Now I'll attack! Go Phoenix, fiery wing beat!" Tim ordered.

The bird flapped its wings, sending a wave of fire at Mokuba! Mokuba braced himself again, and the wave of heat rolled over his body.

Mokuba LP: 2500

Tim LP: 6800

"End turn." Tim stated.

Mokuba was panting as he drew his next card.

"About time I used my two facedown cards," he said as he placed a card into his disk, "but first I activate Card of Sanctity!"

A flash of golden light surrounded the field, and both duelists drew their cards. As they did Mokuba's two cards on the field turned over!

Tim gasped in shock as his cards began to glow and several cards appeared floating in front of Mokuba. At the same time, a toxic purple mist settled on Tim's side of the field.

"Explain yourself!" Tim shouted, "If this fog was any thicker it would be just like your brother's skull!"

"DON'T YOU EVER SAY ANYTHING BAD ABOUT MY BIG BROTHER!" Mokuba shouted, his face contorted in rage.

"Too late!" Tim joked.

Mokuba took a deep breath and adopted a smug smile.

"The cards you have in your hand are Solar Flare Dragon, Pot of Greed, Premature Burial, Magic Cylinder, Dark Room of Nightmare, and Raging Flame Sprite." Mokuba stated.

Tim's eyes went wide as he looked over his hand.

"Whoa, are you using duel monster or tarot cards?" Tim asked.

"Actually I'm using my trap card, The Eye of Truth!" Mokuba explained as pointed at the first of his cards, "It lets me see every card in your hand, but you gain 1000 LP for every spell you hold during your standby phase."

"I've got no problem with that." Tim smiled.

"You will in a minute. I coupled it with Bad Reaction to Simochi, so now you lose 1000 LP for each spell you hold!" Mokuba announced, pointing at his second card.

Tim shook his head.

"So young, yet so evil. Glad you're not the one with Pyrokinesis!" He sighed.

Mokuba laughed.

"You're going to regret hurting my brother. I set one monster in defense mode, and set one card face down. Your turn." He said with a smile as two more cards appeared in front of him.

Tim drew his card and his eyes widened as he saw his Seal of Fire!

"_Damn! Mokuba can see this!" _He realized, seeing Mokuba's interested look.

At the same time, a beeping began to sound across the room. Tim looked at his LP counter as it dropped by 4000!

Mokuba LP: 2500

Tim LP: 2800

-----------------------------------------------

Joey looked toward Brian's side of the field. The orc was on one knee in defense mode.

"Looks like your monster can't stay in attack mode after a fight." Joey stated, "So let's see what sort of damage I can do now that your only monster is in defense mode!"

The tow-headed duelist drew, and looked over his hand with a slight frown

"_Drat, no monsters I can summon."_ He thought as he looked at his defense position goblins.

"Since I can't change the position of my goblins this turn, I guess that I'll just lay this card face down and end my turn." Joey announced.

The new card materialized right behind Joey's only remaining monster.

"Draw!" Brian shouted as he pulled the top card off of his deck. He looked at it with a grim smile.

"Well would you look at this! It seems that Lady Luck is favoring me today Joey, because I just drew my Card of Sanctity!"

A flash of golden light illuminated the basement, and both duelists quickly drew their hands up to six cards and Brian considered his options. With a nod, he held up two cards.

"First I'm going to use Premature Burial." Brian declared as he slid a card into his disk.

Brian LP: 5450

Joey LP: 5550

Two black ghost connected by their tails appeared on the field and began to spiral around each other, giggling madly, and Brian's nose began to bleed from the LP drop.

"Meet my Double Coston (1700/1650)." Brian declared, "I discarded them earlier when I used Rope of Life."

"I kinda figured." Joey said.

"Now I'll sacrifice my Giant Orc to summon Vampire Lord (2200/1500)!" Brian continued.

Giant Orc vanished and in his place a huge black coffin shot out of the ground. It slowly opened up, revealing an extremely pale man with green hair, a black tuxedo, and a cape that resembled a pair of bat's wings. The new monster grinned, showing off its blood soaked fangs as the dark tattoo was carved into his body and its eyes became empty pools of shadow.

Joey just stared at the beast in horror.

"Oh man!" He shouted, "That is one seriously unfriendly looking monster!"

"I know what you mean." Brian said, "He's looked this way for a while now."

Brian's crystal shimmered a bit and he pointed straight ahead.

"But I can't hold back now! Double Coston, destroy his Goblin Attack Force!" Brian ordered.

The conjoined ghosts giggled as they swooped forward and separated, connected only by a thing black thread. They swooped in a circle around Joey's monster, trapping all of the goblins with the black string and cutting them all in half!

"Now my Vampire Lord, attack Joey directly with children of the night!" He ordered.

Vampire Lord opened his cape, and a swarm of bats jumped out! Joey quickly tapped a button on his disk, and his facedown card lifted up and sprayed a beam of white light all over his body just before the bats hit.

Brian LP: 5450

Joey LP: 7350

Brian stared at the LP score in shock.

"What did you do?" The dark duelist shouted, "You have almost as many LP as when we started!"

Joey smiled as he pointed to his former face down card.

"Simple," he said, "I just used my Nutrient Z trap card, and it gave me 4000 LP since I was about to take more than 2000 points of damage. Your vampire actually helped me out."

Brian's crystal was beginning to shine again, and this time he took several breaths before the glow died down.

"Well he's not as helpful as you think!" He declared, "Since he did damage your life points, you have to take one type of card of my choice from your deck and send it to the graveyard. I choose spell card."

Joey slid his deck out of its slot, and looked over his cards. Finally, he took out his Legendary Sword and slid it into his graveyard. Then he shuffled and replaced his deck.

"Now I set this card face down and end my turn." Brian declared as yet another card appeared in front of him.

Joey drew and looked over his seven card hand. He quickly placed on card onto his disk and smiled.

"I summon Sasuke Samurai #4 (1200/1200) in attack mode!" Joey announced.

A small man with a round yellow head and wearing samurai armor appeared on the field. He carried a huge pike, and pointed it at Brian's monsters.

"What's he going to do?" Brian asked.

"Attack your vampire, that's what!" Joey announced, "Go samurai!"

Little warrior jumped toward Vampire Lord, his pike wavering up and down. Suddenly, a coin fell out of thin air and landed in Joey's hand.

"What's going on?" Brian asked, "Does that monster have a way to beat mine?"

"You bet he does." Joey said with a grin, "Whenever my samurai battles a monster, I can flip a coin. If I call it right, then the other monster is destroyed with out a fight. So I call heads!"

Joey tossed the coin in the air. It landed, bounced, and stopped on heads!

"NO!" Brian shouted.

The samurai's pike jammed into his opponent's chest, and Vampire Lord screamed as he shattered into pieces.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Joey cheered.

Then he noticed Brian had a look of pure rage plastered to his face. The teen's crystal was shimmering with bright purple light, and he was pointing to his facedown cards.

"I'm not going to let you get away with that Joey!" Brian roared, "I activate Michizure! Since I lost a monster, you lose one too!"

The facedown card lifted and a pair of hands shot forward, grabbing hold of the samurai. The little monster groaned before shattering apart.

"_Uh-oh."_ Joey thought.

"I lay one card facedown and end my turn!" Joey declared.

He slid a new card into his disk, and it materialized in front of him.

Brian drew and a rumbling noise filled the area. Suddenly, a rumbling noise filled the area, and Vampire Lord burst out of the ground!

"What the heck!" Joey shouted.

"What's wrong Joey, didn't you know vampire's are very hard to kill?" Brian taunted, "My Vampire Lord can't be beat by spell, trap, or monster effects. Any time he is he just comes back on my next turn.

"Oh yeah." Joey muttered.

"_I've seen Kaiba use that, I should have known that!"_ Joey thought, _"On the other hand it was a long time ago."_

Joey's thoughts were interrupted by Brian.

"Say good night Wheeler. Vampire Lord, attack his life points directly!" Brian shouted.

The undead creature lunged forward, when Joey's facedown card suddenly flipped up!

"I'm not out of tricks yet." Joey smirked, "I activate Call of the Haunted to revive Sasuke Samurai #4 (1200/1200)!"

The yellow headed samurai appeared again in a purple mist, and Joey held up a new coin.

"Since I have a monster on the field now, that means you need to attack him." Joey pointed out, "And that means I get to flip another coin. This time I call tails!"

Joey tossed the coin up, and it landed on tails!

"SON OF A…!" Brian screamed.

The last part of his statement was drowned out by his Vampire's death scream.

"You wanna try that again?" Joey asked.

"I won't risk my Double Coston." Brian declared, "I've got bigger plans for them. But your luck can't protect you forever Wheeler!"

Brian slid a card into his disk, and it appeared in front of him.

"One more card facedown, now it's your turn." Brian growled.

Joey drew a new card and smiled.

"Alright! Time for you to learn to curb that temper of yours. I activate Star Blaster!" The blond duelist announced, sliding a card into his disk.

A strange creature wearing a half-red, half-black outfit jumped onto the field. In its hands was a similarly colored die. As it rolled the die, Joey's samurai vanished into a mysterious mist along with Call of the Haunted.

"Now then!" Joey stated, "I sacrifice a monster on the field, roll one die, and add the result to the star level of the monster I sacrificed. Then, I can summon a monster with a number of stars equal to the total!"

The die skipped around, and settled on a three.

"Yes!" Joey shouted, "Since my samurai was a four star monster, I can now summon a seven star monster, and I have just the one in mind."

He placed a card onto the disk where his monster had been.

"My Red Eyes Black Dragon!" Joey exclaimed

With a loud roar, the giant dragon swooped out of the mist that had consumed the warrior!

Brian gasped in shock at the sight of the beast, his crystal flaring with purple light.

"_I don't believe it!"_ He thought, _"He actually brought out that dragon AGAIN! And what's worse is he thinks it will save him! I am the master of dark monsters!"_

Brian looked at a card in his hand and smiled inwardly.

"_And on my next turn I'll show him just what that means!"_

"Time to take down Double Coston!" Joey shouted as his dragon charged up a fire ball, "Inferno Fire…"

Suddenly Brian's facedown card lifted, and hundreds of black chains shot out from the surrounding shadows grabbing hold of the Red Eyes! The dragon let out a roar of anger as its arms, legs, wings, and finally mouth were all tightly bound and the chains held it about a foot off the ground.

Brian's mouth twisted into a cruel grin as he saw Joey's confused expression.

"Allow me to explain Wheeler." Brian offered, "You see, your dragon's attack gave me the only reason I needed to activate my trap card: Shadow Spell! Now your monster loses 700 attack points and it can't change its battle position or attack."

The Red Eyes (1700/2000) let out a muffled growl as it struggled against the chains holding it prisoner.

Joey stared at his helpless dragon and glared at Brian.

"Just you wait." The blond duelist growled, "When my dragon gets free, you're going down! But for now, I'll have to end my turn."

Brian drew his next card with a grin.

"Your dragon isn't going to get free." The duelist laughed as a black coffin reappeared in front of him and the Vampire Lord (2200/1500) rose out looking just as unfriendly as ever.

"Oh great, he's back." Joey muttered sarcastically, "Don't you know any other tricks?"

"Actually, I do." Brian grinned, "And it involves a monster you should be familiar with."

Joey gave Brian a confused stare.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Brian smirked.

"You think that you're the only one with a Red Eyes?" He queried.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Tim was glancing from his life point counter to the cards in his hand, with one thought running through his mind.

"_If I play Seal of Fire I'll feel all the damage." _Tim reasoned, _"Looking at my LP, I think I'd rather avoid that!"_

Tim slid his Pot of Greed into his disk. The green pot materialized on the field, spat out two holographic cards, and vanished.

"You know what card I'm playing." Tim said as he drew two cards, "So I don't think I have to explain the effect."

Mokuba's eyes went wide as he saw a Blazing Inpachi and Mystical Space Typhoon appear in his opponent's hand!

"_Oh no! My combo!"_ Mokuba thought as the Space Typhoon disappeared from Tim's hand and materialized on the field! In an instant, the Eye of Truth was gone, blasted away by a tornado.

Mokuba stared blankly at Tim, then began to laugh!

"Ha, what an idiot!" Mokuba laughed, "If you had destroyed Simochi you could have recovered all those life points!"

"Secrecy is the heart of deception." Tim mused, "And deception is the heart of warfare."

"What's _that_ mean!" Mokuba shouted.

"If you have to ask, you don't deserve to have it explained to you." Tim explained

"You aren't telling me anything!" Mokuba complained

"Exactly!" Tim laughed

"AAARGGH!" Mokuba screamed

Tim smiled as he placed two more cards into his disk.

"I play my Dark Room of Nightmare, and lay this card facedown. Then summon Blazing Inpachi!" He said.

In a blast of flame, the huge burning statue appeared. Behind it appeared a facedown card, and the image of a dark stone room.

"Now go Sacred Phoenix, attack his facedown monster!" Tim ordered.

The phoenix shot another blast of fire. As it hit Mokuba's card, it was revealed to be a treasure chest lined with sharp teeth!

"Got you!" Mokuba laughed, "My monster was Dark Mimic Lv 1, and when he's flipped, I get to draw one card!"

Mokuba drew his card and smiled as he looked at it.

"Inpachi, your turn!" Tim shouted.

The robot charged forward, but was stopped and exploded into splinters when Mokuba's facedown card flipped over.

"Your monster just hit my Sakuretsu Armor. My turn?" Mokuba asked.

"Sure Mokuba, make your move." Tim said.

Mokuba smiled as he drew his next card.

"This is too perfect!" He shouted, "I'll start with Card of Demise!"

Mokuba placed the card into his disk, and slid five cards off of his deck.

"Now I activate, Dian Keto the Cure Master!" Mokuba continued as he placed another card into his disk.

A healing light shone down over Mokuba, and his life point counter ticked upward.

Mokuba LP: 3500

Tim LP: 2800

"Next comes my Tribute to the Doomed to destroy your Sacred Phoenix!" Mokuba yelled.

Mokuba placed another card onto his disk, and slid one into his graveyard. A series of bandages wrapped around the Phoenix, and it vanished in a blast of pixels!

"You slimy little…" Tim started, "Wait, what am I worried for, my phoenix will come back next turn."

"I'm not done yet!" Mokuba declared, "Now I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon Lv 4 (1600/1000)!"

A silver colored monster that looked more like a chicken than a dragon (and was about the same size) jumped onto the field.

"Now I use Level Up, letting me sacrifice Horus Lv 4 to evolve him into Horus Lv 6 (2300/1600)!"

Mokuba slid a card into his disk, and then took a card from his deck. He swapped it for the monster on his disk, and the bird spread its wings, growing larger with each second until it was twice Tim's size.

"Horus Lv 6 is immune the effects of spells." Mokuba explained, "But I can still sacrifice him to use their effects! So I use my _second_ Level Up and sacrifice him to change him into Horus Lv 8 (3000/1800)!"

Mokuba changed the cards on his disk again, and the monster grew until it was twice as big as it had been before! It now looked more like a giant hawk or falcon, and it didn't seem very pleased.

Mokuba laughed as he placed one more card into his disk.

"Time to end this!" He shouted, "I'll beat you, and do it with the card you used on my brother! I activate: EXCHANGE!"

Tim winced as he and Mokuba walked toward each other and held up their hands. Mokuba quickly plucked the Seal of Fire from Tim's grasp, and Tim just sighed and took a De-spell card.

"Mokuba, don't use the seal. It's too powerful for you." Tim warned.

"You mean it's too powerful for YOU!" Mokuba shouted as he placed the card into his field slot, "This duel is over, and with this card you'll go through whatever you put my brother through! Now go ELEMENTAL SEAL OF FIRE!"

The red circle appeared on the ground, and Mokuba screamed as the fire tattoo was etched onto his body and his hair turned flaming red and stuck straight up! At the same time, Horus (3200/1800) screeched as the markings appeared on it!

"_More red there then in a ketchup factory!"_ Tim said to himself.

Mokuba looked up, an angry flame burning in his eyes.

"This…feels…FANTASTIC!" He shouted! "I'm gonna take you down, and make it hurt! I discard Silent Magician Lv 8 (3500/1000) from my hand to subtract 1750 from your LP!"

Tim screamed and fell on to his back as a column of flame burst up around him.

Mokuba LP: 3500

Tim LP: 1050

"_Good thing he didn't take my crystal." _Tim thought as he got up, _"It can still protect me from the flames."_

Mokuba laughed as he pointed straight ahead.

"You're finished! Horus, ATTACK!" Mokuba ordered.

The dragon unleashed a huge blast of black flames from its mouth, which were intercepted by a pair of tubes that appeared in front of Tim!

"Did you forget about Magic Cylinder? I mean, you saw that I had it. And you just saw my hand now so you must have known that I played it." Tim explained, "That seal clouds your judgment, that's why it takes self control to handle it."

"It doesn't matter." Mokuba scoffed, "Horus isn't strong enough to beat me!"

"Not alone. But with Dark Room of Nightmare, and the fact that my Cylinder changes the attack into _effect_ damage against you so Dark Room of Nightmare adds 300 to that total. That means your going to take about…well, let me ask: Did you order original, extra crispy, Cajun, or butt-whup?" Tim pointed out

Mokuba's eyes turned as wide as dinner plates as Tim's spell card began to glow, and the returning fireball swelled up in size.

"You mean…I LOST!" Mokuba screamed.

Tim smiled.

"Survey says…" He called.

Mokuba screamed as the black flames surrounded his body! He fell to the ground, wisps of smoke rising from his prone form.

Mokuba LP: 0

Tim LP: 1050

Tim smiled, "Oh yeah…"

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"You have a Red Eyes!" Joey exclaimed.

"That's right." Brian nodded, "It's not a first edition like yours is though. I got it and my Vampire Lord after I won at a card shop tournament."

Brian sighed as he turned the card toward Joey. Joey looked over the picture and realized Brian was right. While his own card showed the dragon in flight, Brian's looked like it was preparing to breathe fire on something.

"It wasn't easy to win that tournament." Brian explained, "The owner of the shop had received them as part of a promotional set, and he offered them as a prize. Everyone wanted these rare monster cards, and so they spent hours working on their decks. I was determined to get them though. It felt like they belonged with me."

"Why's that?" Joey asked.

"Because I didn't want them just because they were rare." Brian explained as his crystal dimmed, "Vampire Lord and the Red Eyes Black Dragon had been my favorite monsters ever since I'd seen them used by you and Kaiba. I've always felt that dark monsters like the ones in my deck got a bad rap, just because they were dark."

"I wonder where someone would get that idea." Joey muttered sarcastically.

Brian just glared at Joey as his crystal flared up again.

"My point is I won these cards so I could someday use them to prove darkness isn't always evil. And when I've had a hand in taking the world into a state of supreme peace, everyone will realize that darkness can be just as good as light!" Brian shouted, "Now then, I sacrifice my Double Coston to summon my own Red Eyes Black Dragon (2600/2000)!"

The two black ghosts laughed, then swirled into the air and vanished. Joey just stared as his own dragon's reflection stepped out of the shadows behind his opponent and roared as black tattoos appeared on it.

"Wait…" Joey said, "How did you summon that? It costs two sacrifices!"

Brian just laughed.

"It's easy! Double Coston _counts_ as two sacrifices when I use it summon a creature of darkness like my Red Eyes!" Brian explained.

Joey just drew back a little.

"_I've got a feeling that this is gonna hurt…" _He thought.

"Now my Red Eyes (2600/2000) will destroy your pathetic excuse for a monster (1700/2000)!" Brian shouted, "INFERNO FIRE BLAST!"

Brian's Red Eyes roared and launched a huge blast of fire and dark energy at Joey's copy of the beast which let out a final whimper as it burst into scaly shards.

"Now it's Vampire Lord's turn! V-lord, dinner is served!" Brian declared, pointing at Joey.

Joey just stared in shock at the point where his dragon once stood, not making a sound until he screamed with pain as Vampire Lord (2200/1500) bit into his neck.

Brian LP: 5450

Joey LP: 4250

Joey clutched at the bite marks in his neck and batted away a few dying embers from his dragon's remains.

"I'm not out of this yet!" He said, "I still have plenty of LP left, which means that I can turn this around!"

Brian shook his head.

"Well I'll just have to cut down the odds that you'll do that with my vampire's special ability. Since he damaged your LP, I think I'll declare trap!"

Joey grumbled a little as he looked through his deck and pulled out his Compensation Mediation card, which he quickly moved to his discard pile. Joey drew his next card, looking hopefully at it. A smile spread across Joey's face as he placed a monster on to the field.

"Now you're toast if you thought Red Eyes was my only powerful monster!" Joey declared as he slammed a card onto his disk, "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600) in attack mode!"

A warrior in shiny black armor appeared in front of Joey, pointing its sword straight at Brian's monsters.

Brian just started to laugh again.

"Hahahahahahaha! You must be joking!" He guffawed, "That creature is way too weak to take down any of my monsters!"

Joey smiled.

"You're right." He said, "That's why I'm activating my Release Restraint card. It lets me unlock Gearfried's true power!"

Joey slid a card into his disk, and a bright, white glow surrounded Gearfried, whose armor started to disappear into the light. Brian and his monsters all did their best to shield their eyes from the illumination, and soon the light began to die down, revealing a muscular man, with pointed ears and carrying a shimmering sword.

"Meet Gearfried the Sword Master (2600/2200)!" Joey announced as he slid another card, "And now I equip him with Lightning Blade, boosting his attack points by 800!"

The warrior held up a new sword, this one was a wide blade that was crackling with electricity.

"Hey Gearfried, why not show that dragon your special talent?" Joey asked.

Gearfried (3400/2200) gave his weapon a swing, slashing towards Brian's dragon and a blast of lightning shot out! The dragon roared as it was struck and shattered like a glass figurine. Joey smiled as he pointed at the Vampire Lord.

"Nice work Gearfried, now attack his bat boy!" Joey ordered.

Gearfried obliged by jumping forward, stabbing Vampire Lord (2200/1500) in the chest. The zombie let out a pathetic moan as it shattered into a bunch of pixels and disappeared for good.

"Hang on!" Brian countered, "Your monster had just attacked! He destroyed my dragon!"

Joey shook his head.

"That wasn't an attack. Gearfried lets me wipe out one monster you control whenever I equip him with a new spell card. I used that power to destroy your dragon since I knew that Vampire Lord (2200/1500) would just come back." Joey explained.

Brian LP: 4250

Joey LP: 4250

Brian's body was shaking out of anger and his crystal's glow was becoming impossibly bright.

"Hey!" Joey said, "Calm down alright? It's just a game after all."

"Just a _game_!" Brian spat, "Did you forget what's on the line in this duel thanks to my Seal of Darkness?"

Joey shook his head, and shot Brian a cold stare.

"No, I remember. If I lose the duel, I lose my talent. But I've been in worse positions before while dueling, and you know what? I never acted up like you did. It just takes all the fun out of the game!" Joey shouted.

Brian stared at Joey, his crystal beginning to dim a little bit, and some of his anger seemed to disappear.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What's this?" Needlez muttered.

He was back in his hideout, and floating in front of him were four circles of light. Each one was currently relaying the image of a duel to him, though he couldn't here what was being said.

For just a second, thought, it had looked to him like one of the matches had shifted out of focus.

"I think I almost lost my connection with one of my duelists." He muttered, "But that can't be as long as they still have their crystals. Hmmm…Better safe than sorry."

Needlez pulled out his pocket watch and the stone set in it began to shimmer. He grinned as the images from the crystals became more defined.

"This should be good." Needlez smiled, "Now if only I had a wee bit of popcorn…"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brian's crystal began to shimmer with increased power, and a look of rage returned to his face.

"I won't get drawn in by that!" He shouted, drawing a new card, "You destroyed my favorite monster and YOU WILL PAY!"

Joey cringed a little at his opponent's reaction.

"_Geez! This guy needs some anger management courses. That, and he should lay off the polish on that jewel of his…Hey wait!" _Joey's eyes widened as he stared at Brian's necklace (despite the fact that he was seeing multiple spots because of it), _"That's it! Whenever he gets mad, that crystal starts to glow. But maybe it isn't glowing 'cause he's mad, maybe it's what's making him go nuts!"_

Brian, in the meantime, held up another card.

"I can't afford to let you keep that swordsman on the field Wheeler, so I activate the spell Dark Core!" Brian shouted as he plugged the card into his disk.

Brian slid a card into his graveyard, and an orb of black energy burst up around Gearfried, who let out a strangled cry before disappearing into thin air.

"What!" Joey shouted, snapping out of his thoughts, "How did you do that?"

Brian laughed in response.

"You should have paid attention Wheeler. Dark Core lets me remove a monster from the game at the cost of one card from my hand! Now I'll summon the last card in my hand. Meet Chaos Necromancer (200/0)!" Brian explained.

An eerie mist spread across the field. Joey looked around nervously as an evil cackle filled the area. And then, out of the shadows, stepped a scrawny figure with snow white hair and sharp claws on its hands, wearing armor and a torn cape.

Joey stared at the monster, and then seeing its stats on the card itself let out a sigh of relief.

"You had me spooked for a moment." Joey confessed, "But your monster barely has any attack points!"

Brian just shook his head.

"How many times have you said that and been proven wrong? My monster has a powerful special ability. It gains 300 attack points for every monster in my graveyard!" Brian shouted, "There are eight monsters in my graveyard, giving him an extra 2400 attack points!

The necromancer (2600/0) began to cackle again as a dark aura surrounded his body.

"Now Chaos Necromancer, attack Wheeler directly with spiritual claw slash!" The monster lunged forward, swinging its claws right through Joey's torso.

Brian LP: 4350

Joey LP: 1650

Joey felt weakened by the attack. Even though it hadn't left any physical damage, he felt as though he had been drained by the assault. Joey drew his next card, fighting off waves of nausea, and looked at the card he held.

"_Card of Sanctity!"_ He thought, _"This would give me a hand, but it would help him out to. And if he keeps up this intense pace, I might not be able to last. Wait, he seemed to get a little less angry when I talked to him before. Maybe a part of him is fighting against that jewel!"_

Joey looked at his opponent and held up his new card.

"Okay, it's my turn to play Card of Sanctity!" He announced.

Once more both duelists held six cards in their hands. Joey looked over his options, struggling to come up with a plan. Finally he looked up at Brian.

"You said you didn't like to use scare tactics, and you didn't want to hurt me." Joey said, "But you sure haven't been backing up your claims much! All you've been doing is playing out of anger."

Brian blinked in surprise, then sneered.

"You gonna make your move or preach to me about dueling ethics?" He shouted.

Joey sighed.

"That's what I'm talking about. You were actually a better opponent earlier on in the duel before that crystal started manipulatin' your emotions!" Joey shouted.

Brian's face seemed to soften a bit, and a small voice started to speak up.

"_What if he's right?" _The voice asked, _"The same thing happened last time we dueled. And it happened to everyone else too!"_

Brian suddenly shook his head.

"Your little mind games won't work Wheeler!" The dark duelist shouted.

But even as he did, the crystals glow began to fade again. Only this time it wasn't returning.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What in the blazes…" Needlez grumbled as the image of Brian's duel faded again. "Oh dear, it would seem that my Duelist of Darkness is starting to resist the gem."

The silver haired man held up his watch, focusing the energies from his crystal onto Brian. Blue-green light flowed from the crystal to Brian's duel, but then turned away!

"That's very interesting…" Needlez mused, gently turning the pocket watch over in his hands, "Well, I had my doubts about Brian, but if this keeps up…"

Needlez closed his eyes, projecting his thoughts.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tim stepped over Mokuba's prone form, and carefully took his seal card out of the disk.

As he did Mokuba stirred slightly.

"Big brother, I'm sorry." He whispered before he passed out again.

Tim looked down at the boy and frowned.

"Sorry I had to do that Mokuba, but I have an older brother to look after to." He sighed, "Just be glad Needlez let me keep my power to break the seal. We don't need any more fire talent. I just hope Brian…"

"_Ah yes, about Brian."_ Needlez's voice echoed.

Tim looked up at the sphere of blue-green light.

"_I think ye should go to the basement, yer brother's loyalties have been called into question."_ Needlez explained.

"_Brian? No way!"_ Tim thought.

"_See for yourself."_ Needlez suggested.

Tim glanced at the orb, then vanished in a column of flames.

-------------------------------------

Joey held up a card from his hand.

"I think that you've been letting the darkness control you for too long, so I'm gonna have to use an old friend of ours to help you conquer it. I summon Freed the Brave Wanderer (1700/1500)!" Joey declared as he placed the card on to his disk.

Once more, the silver armored soldier came to the field. Joey slid two cards from his graveyard, and an aura of light emanated from Freed.

"I'm sure you remember what Freed does when I remove two light monsters from play." Joey grinned.

Brian nodded.

"He destroys one monster that's stronger than he is." Brian responded numbly.

Freed lunged forward, swinging his blade straight through the Chaos Necromancer. The creature screamed, then shattered apart.

"Now attack directly!" Joey ordered.

Freed jumped forward, and swung his blade at Brian. The dark duelist lifted up his shield of shadows again, and the sword bounced off.

Brian LP: 2650

Joye LP: 1650

Brian blinked as his crystal's glow faded a little more. Rather than getting angry, he actually seemed a bit calmer (though it was hard to tell since his eyes were still shadows).

"I end my turn." Joey declared.

Brian drew his next card, looking over the seven he now held, and placed three cards of his own onto the disk.

"I set one monster in defense mode, and lay two cards face down. That's all Wheeler." He stated.

The cards materialized, and Joey drew.

"Perfect!" He exclaimed, "Hey, tell me what you think of this move. I summon Command Knight (1200/1900) in attack mode. And now she gives 400 extra attack points to every warrior on the field."

A female warrior dressed in brown and red leather armor appeared, and Freed (2100/1500) stood at attention. Command knight drew a golden sword, and Joey pointed straight ahead

"Alright! Freed attack his face down monster!"

The blond warrior jumped forward and swung his sword through the facedown card, revealing a yellow mask which shattered apart.

"That was my Mask of Darkness (1100/400)." Brian explained as he pulled a card out of his grave, "When it's flipped over, I get to take a trap back from my graveyard and add it to my hand. I'll pick my Waboku trap card, which I discarded when I played Dark Core."

"That's no problem." Joey said, "Now Command Knight (1600/1900) can attack you directly!"

The female warrior now dashed forward and swung his sword at Brian, a barrier of shadows preventing the sword from reaching his body but still leaving the duelist exhausted from the effort. Brian was gasping for breath, but a smile was penetrating his face as Joey slid another card into his disk.

"One card facedown, I end my turn." Joey announced.

Brian LP: 1050

Joey LP: 1650

Brian drew his next card as his crystal's glow became almost none existent.

"_That was a good move."_ He thought, _"I'll need something good to counter that. I can't believe that I just kept rushing in without thinking all that time! Joey's right, this crystal has been affecting the way I think, and the same is probably true of the others!"_

The dark duelist looked at his hand and smiled.

"Well Joey, that was impressive. But your monsters aren't protected from spells, so I'll activate Lightning Vortex to destroy every monster you control at the cost of one card from my hand!" Brian called out.

Brian slid his Waboku trap into the graveyard…

And a huge blast of electricity filled Joey's half of the field! Both of his monsters vanished in a burst of lightning!

Brian gave his opponent a guilty smile.

"I actually feel bad about doing this, but I don't have a choice. The seal is in place so there has to be a winner, and neither of us is allowed to hold back. I use my first face down card Dust Tornado!"

Brian's facedown card lifted, and a blast of wind shot Joey's face down card from the field.

"And finally I activate my other face down card Contract with the Dark Master! I'll give up Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands and my second Giant Orc from my hand to bring in Dark Master-Zorc (2900/1500)!" Brian announced

The facedown card lifted, and the shrouded figure appeared. Brian slid two cards into his graveyard, and the figure grew and expanded into the bronze skinned demon. The black marks once more covered its body, and it turned its gaze on Joey.

"Now the duel ends with this attack!" Brian shouted, "Zorc, finish this now with symphony of shadows!"

The dark lord raised up one hand and shot a blast of shadows toward Joey. Suddenly a strange, white aura began to glow around the blond duelist.

"It ain't gonna be that easy." Joey stated as he slid a card from his graveyard and a coin appeared in front of him, "That face down card you destroyed is a trap called Spirit of Luck, and I can only activate it from the graveyard after it has been sent there while it's face down. When I do, I remove it from play and flip a coin."

The coin began to spin as Brian and his monster watched it.

"If I call the outcome right, then I only take half damage from any attacks this turn. If I call it wrong though, I'll take double damage from the battles." Joey explained.

Brian seemed shocked.

"You're going to leave this all to luck!" He shouted, completely amazed, "But you've already done that so much this duel!"

Joey nodded.

"It wouldn't be the first time I did something like this. Now we'll see just which of us is luckier. I call tails!" He announced.

The coin flipped for a few more seconds before landing on the ground.

Brian's eyes widened in shock. Joey smiled as Zorc's shadows barely penetrated the aura around him.

"Looks like I called it right." The blond duelist said.

Brian LP: 1050

Joey LP: 200

Brian smiled and started to laugh. It wasn't a maniacal laugh this time but rather a good-natured chuckle at this sudden turn of events.

"You (hahaha) have to be (ha) one of the luckiest (heehee) duelists I've ever met!" Brian continued to laugh. "I guess that all I can do now is end my turn."

Joey nodded.

"What did I tell you? Even if the stakes are high the duels a lot more fun when you lighten up a little." He smiled.

Brian nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Too bad I can't do anything about the seal at the moment. Ah well, make your move." Brian offered.

Joey drew his next card, looked at it, and then laid it on the field horizontally.

"I set this monster in defense mode and end my turn." He stated.

The card materialized in front of Joey.

Brian drew, and a grim smile crossed his features.

"Looks like our duel is almost over. Too bad, I was just starting to enjoy it." Brian sighed, "I wish things could have ended differently, but the fact is they can't. I summon Vampire Lady (1750/1550) in attack mode."

A young woman with pale skin and a purple dress rose from the ground, her features warped by the seal's markings.

"Let's get this over with." Brian sighed as he pointed at the facedown monster, "I can't risk Zorc's effect, so I'll have him attack your facedown monster."

The fiend raised his hand again, and shot another blast of shadows toward Joey's face down card. They hit and revealed a strange looking jar with a goofy smile and bulging eyes.

Joey smiled as a large white die appeared in front of him, and a black one appeared in front of Brian.

"You're right, this duel is almost over." Joey agreed, "Now I just have to hope that my luck holds out. The monster you wrecked wass called Dice Jar, and when he turns over we each roll a die. Who ever rolls the lowest number will have their LP reduced by the difference in the rolls times 500."

Brian picked up his die in both hands and looked it over.

"You realize that if I win the roll, you'll lose the duel no matter what the difference is?" He asked, "And you need to win by at least three to beat me, otherwise my Vampire Lady will finish you."

Joey nodded.

"Yep, but that's a risk that I'm willing to help stop you." He explained.

"Then best of luck to you." Brian said with a look of determination on his face.

Both duelists held up their dice and tossed them toward the center of the field. There was a clatter as the oversized cubes bounced off of each other and began to spin. Brian's was the first one to stop revealing a five. Both competitors watched with bated breath as the white die slowed down, balanced carefully on one corner, and finally tipped over onto…

------------------------------

Tim appeared in the far corner of the basement in a flash of fire. He looked around, and spotted Brian and Joey as they tossed their dice. He quickly ducked behind a nearby storage bin and watched as the dice bounced.

"_Ye know what to do." _Needlez whispered in his head.

"_Yeah, yeah."_ Tim thought.

-------------------------------------------

A six.

Brian smiled.

"Well, guess you lose Joey. I only lose 500 LP because you only beat me by one."

The dark duelist pointed to Joey, when six points of light appeared on the ground in a circle around him.

"Umm…What exactly is this?" Brian asked.

Joey just grinned.

"Maybe I should have warned ya about my jar's other special ability. You see, if the winning roll is a six, then the loser drops 6000 LP." He confessed.

Brian just stared stupidly at the points of light around him.

"Six thousand LP! Are you serious?" He shouted. "That is some powerful card! Tell me, what did you have planned if I won the die roll?"

Joey shrugged.

"Accept my loss, and hope that my friends could still stop you and your master's plans without me. That's about all I could have done." He explained.

Brian nodded as the lights began to flash.

"I see. This was a great duel Joey. I'll accept my loss with quiet dignity." Brian said.

And with that Brian stood up straight and crossed his arms behind his back, just before a huge explosion surrounded him.

Brian LP: 0

Joey LP: 200

The explosion cleared away, and Brian was on his hands and knees. The shadows surrounding the duel began to surround him, and Brian closed his eyes.

"Congratulations Joey," Brian said, "Now you should get out of here. I have no doubt Needlez knows that I won't give him my talent, meaning he'll probably sic the others on me soon enough to try and take it."

"Why not just break the seal and escape?" Joey asked.

"Needlez took that power away." Brian explained as the shadows drew in closer.

Joey watched as the crystal began to glow with purple light. Before he could stop himself, Joey lunged forward, and snatched the necklace! Brian gasped as the blond teen snapped the thin chain around his neck, and then tossed the crystal to the ground.

The shadows around Brian drew back suddenly, and then fell back to the ground as the crystal began to crack. The crack spread, and deepened, until the gem split into two separate pieces!

"You…saved me?" Brian gasped.

"Yep." Joey said with a grin, "You said they'd come after you for the talent, but if there's none to take they have no business with ya."

Brian just nodded.

"Good point." He smiled, "Thank you!"

"Don't mention it." Joey said, "Now let's head back up to the others…"

"The others!" Brian shouted, "Oh shoot, the other duelists will have already gone after them!"

"What!" Joey shouted, "We gotta help them!"

"There's nothing we can do." Brian sighed, "I don't know where they went, but our best chance would be to go back to Kaiba's office and wait for them there."

Joey sneered, but ran for the stairs.

"Come on then, let's move!" He shouted.

Brian quickly followed him.

As they left, Tim stepped out from behind container, and walked over to the crystal fragments.

"_Didn't see that coming."_ Needlez thought, _"Ah well, take those lad, they could be of use to us…"_

_Brian's working for the heroes now! Woo-hoo! But you can celebrate later, cause up next we find that Mako will go to any length for revenge against Mai. See if the femme fatale of the dueling circuit can best the master of water monsters, in a chapter called_

_Deep Trouble_

_See ya then._

---

Original cards

---

Magic Arm Shield

Trap

Image of a box with a pair of grabber arms extending from it.

You can only activate this card when your opponent declares an attack, and when they have more than one monster on their side of the field. Select one monster on their side of the field. Your opponent must attack the selected monster first.

---

Star Blaster

Spell

Image of an imp wearing a costume that's half red and half black, holding a die with a similar color scheme.

Tribute one monster on your side of the field and roll a six sided die. Special summon a monster from your hand whose star level equals the result plus the level of the sacrificed monster

_The above two cards have been used multiple times on the show by Joey. All creative credit goes to the writers of the show._

---

Spirit of Luck

Trap

Image of a gambler with a little sprite sitting on his shoulder as he throws a pair of dice.

Remove this card in your graveyard from play during your opponent's battle phase. Flip a coin and call it. If you call it right, you only take half damage from all battles this turn. If you call it wrong, you take double damage from all battles this turn.


	12. Deep Trouble

Disclaimer: We still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but you know that if we did the world would be a better place. The only things we own are our original characters and cards, unless otherwise noted.

_Previously_

_Things keep going from bad to worse for Yugi and his friends, as the Elemental Duelists attack them while they are meeting with Kaiba! Joey is taken to the basement for a rematch with Brian, and manages to win. But rather than let Brian fall victim to his own seal, Joey saves him from it! Brian decides to join the team, but more on that later. Now we turn back the clock to see what one of the other members of Yugi's team had to deal with, in a chapter we call..._

**Chapter 11**

**Deep Trouble**

Moments earlier, back in Kaiba's office, Mai gasped in horror as the water cooler shot a blast of water at her. Before she could react, she was encased in a bubble of clear liquid! Holding her breath, Mai was shocked as Mako appeared next to her inside the bubble.

"_Not you again!"_ Mai thought.

Mako smiled as the water bubble sped out the door into the hall. It swooped down the hallway and smashed into the stairway next to the elevator. As they started down the stairs at breakneck speeds, Mai struggled to hold her breath.

"_I...can't do this…much longer!" _She thought.

Mai's vision began to fade, and her eyes slowly closed.

"_I don't…want it…to end here…"_ She thought as she passed out.

-----------------------------

"Mai…Mai can you hear me?" A voice whispered.

Mai's eyes fluttered open, and she found herself staring up at Mako's face.

"You!" She shouted, scrambling to her feet and backing away.

"Don't worry." Mako said, "I won't hurt you…"

"You just tried to drown me!" Mai screamed at him.

Mako chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah…you see, I can breathe underwater thanks to my crystal." He explained as he gestured toward the blue gem in the silver brace around his ankle, "So I kind of forgot you wouldn't be able to."

Mai glared at him, then turned around…

And gasped as she realized that she was facing a wall made of water!

Looking around, Mai realized that she appeared to be at the bottom of a large swimming pool. There were walls on three sides of her, and a gentle slope leading upwards. Mai quickly realized that she was also seeing the walls and slope through a barrier of water, even though she was nice and dry!

"_It's like being in a glass bowl underwater."_ She thought.

Then she heard a clatter behind her. Turning around, Mai saw her duel disk sat on the ground between her and Mako, fully loaded.

"When did…" She started to ask.

"After you passed out, I dropped you off down here, and then went back to your car and fetched these." Mako explained.

"And where is 'here?'" Mai asked.

"The bottom of the Research Facility's employee swimming pool." Mako announced, "I created a barrier so we can duel down here without interruptions."

"And why should I duel you again?" Mai queried.

"Do you really have a choice?" Mako pointed out.

Mai looked around and sighed.

"Why are you doing this?" She muttered.

"To help the world." Mako explained, "Once we've claimed your talent, we'll use it to revive our master's former body! And once he has been restored to it, this world will be brought to a time of peace and prosperity!"

"And you kidnap me to do this!" Mai shouted, "That doesn't seem very peaceful."

"I'm sorry, really I am, but I have to win." Mako said.

With that he activated his duel disk. Mai reluctantly picked up her disk, strapped it on, and activated it.

Mako LP: 8000

Mai LP: 8000

"I'll take the first move." Mako announced.

Mako he quickly drew his sixth card.

"I think I'll start with a familiar combination! Go, Elemental Seal of Water!" Mako shouted.

The dry ground beneath them was quickly marked with a familiar blue circle, while blue wavy lines appeared on Mako's body.

Mai sighed.

"_This card again?" _She thought. _"I'll bet his next card is that Rename spell he used before!"_

Mai's suspicions were confirmed when Mako slid a card into his disk and a pink goblin jumped onto the field and slapped a paper labeled "Umi" onto the center of the circle. Mako, in the meantime, was looking slightly dizzy as he placed a card in his pocket and his LP dropped by 2000

Mako LP: 6000

Mai LP: 8000

Mako straightened up.

"Now then," he started, "Thanks to my spell…"

"You got to change the name of your seal to Umi by removing a real Umi card from play and paying one-fourth of your LP." Mai interrupted, "I've seen you use that card before, I know what it does, and I don't need the lecture. Can we just move on please?"

Mako was caught off guard, but he quickly recovered by placing a card in his monster zone.

"Yes, well…I guess that move must have made quite an impression last time! Now I summon my Mermaid Knight (1700/700) in attack mode!" He declared.

A beautiful young woman, with pink hair, a shiny green fishtail in place of legs, and wearing steel armor while carrying a sword materialized in front of Mako. She was soon followed by two cards appearing behind her.

"I'm also laying these cards face down and ending my turn." Mako announced.

Mai smiled as she drew her first card.

"Okay then, I think I'll open with Harpie's Brother (1800/600) in attack mode!" Mai declared.

A flurry of feathers swirled in front of her for a minute, and as the feathers disappeared a young man was revealed. He had large, deep red wings growing out of his back, and wore a red hawk mask plus a very sharp looking set of red talons on his wrist.

"And since he's stronger than your pathetic fish-lady, I'll have him attack!" Mai declared.

Harpie's Brother jumped into the air, poised to dive down on top of Mermaid Knight, when one of Mako's cards flipped over and a blue green barrier suddenly forced him back to the ground.

"I honestly thought you would have learned after our last duel." Mako sighed, "My Gravity Bind card will keep your level four or higher monsters from attacking as long as it's face up. What made you think I wouldn't use this?"

Mai smirked.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that even though you did use it last time you still lost!" She taunted.

Mako seemed a bit flustered by this comment.

"Why I oughtta…" He muttered.

Mai giggled a little as she place two cards into her disk. They immediately appeared behind the brother.

"I'm laying these babies face down and ending my turn." She declared

Mako was still muttering under his breath as he drew his next card.

"I summon Cure Mermaid (1700/800) in attack mode!" He said.

A young woman with blond hair, a red fish tail, and a pink top swam onto his half of the field.

"Her powers will come into affect in a minute, but until they do I'll equip my Mermaid Knight with Steel Shell!" Mako announced as he placed another card into his disk.

The red head held up her empty hand, and a gleaming metal shield shaped like a turtle's shell with spikes all over it appeared in her grasp.

"Steel Shell?" Mai asked.

Mako smiled.

"It raises the attack of one creature of water by 400 points, at the cost of 200 defense points." He explained, "And let's not forget that my seal makes all of my monsters level one, meaning they can attack even if Gravity Bind is active. Now Mermaid Knight (2100/500) attack her Harpie's Brother (1800/600) with deep sea slash!"

The armored mermaid dashed forward, swinging her blade through Mai's only monster. The bird-man groaned as he vanished in a burst of pixels.

Mako LP: 6000

Mai LP: 7700

Mai smiled.

"I'm still standing in case you didn't notice." She stated, "And, even if your other monster attacks, I'll still be ahead!"

"That's what you think!" Mako shouted, "Mermaid Knight, attack her directly!"

"What!" Mai shouted.

Mai gasped as she noticed that Mako's monster hadn't moved since striking down her monster. The warrior now raised her sword again, bringing it down toward Mai who jumped back at the last second to avoid the blade. Unfortunately, a blast of water issued from the knight's sword and slammed her to the ground.

Mako LP: 6000

Mai LP: 5600

"Ouch…How did that happen?" Mai groaned as she got back to her feet.

Mako laughed.

"Let me explain. You see, my Mermaid Knight can attack twice in one turn if Umi is on the field. And since it technically is…well you get the idea. Cure Mermaid, attack!" Mako ordered.

The blond mermaid raised her hands, and another blast of water shot forward, slamming Mai into the wall of water around the field. Mai let out a scream of pain, as striking the water was more like hitting a brick wall!

Mako LP: 6000

Mai LP: 3900

Mai struggled to her feet again, shaking her wet hair as she did.

"_I believe drinking eight glasses of water a day is good for the skin, but this is a little extreme!"_ She said to herself.

"It's your turn Mai." Mako smirked.

Mai drew her next card and looked over her hand.

"Time to get serious." She said, "I summon Cyber Harpy Lady (1800/1300) in attack mode!"

A familiar screech sounded as a bird woman in a purple body suit and carrying an electric whip jumped onto the field, swinging her weapon with gusto.

"Then I'll lay this card face down and end my turn." Mai declared as a new card faded into view behind the harpy.

Mako smiled as he drew.

"You realize that you basically handed me victory right?" He shouted.

Before he could continue however, one of Mai's facedown cards lifted and a blast of wind shot his Gravity Bind off the field!

"What!" Mako yelled

Mai smirked a little.

"What's wrong? You've never heard of Dust Tornado?" She mused as she place a card into her disk, "It was the card I just set, and now I'll set this new card thanks to its second effect."

A new card appeared in place of the one that had lifted.

Mako looked a touch worried, but shook it off.

"That won't matter in a minute! First off, the effect of my Cure Mermaid activates since it's my standby phase. She automatically gives me an extra 800 LP!" Mako called out.

The blond held up her hand again, this time causing a light rain to fall over Mako. He smiled as his life point counter ticked up.

Mako LP: 6800

Mai LP: 3900

"Now Mermaid Knight, attack her Cyber Harpy!" Mako ordered.

The fish lady dashed forward once more, when two of Mai's cards turned over!

"Guess again chum-for-brains! I activate two cards, and the first one is A Hero Emerges!" Mai announced.

"I remember that!" Mako said, "But it won't help you because I'm sure I won't pick a…mon…"

The ocean duelist trailed off as he saw Mai had only one card in her hand.

"Umm…Right then! I guess I choose your one remaining card." He said.

"Good choice." Mai said placing the card on her disk.

A new harpy appeared, this one covered in a purple body suit with green wings and pink hair.

"You just let me summon my Harpy Lady 1 (1600/1400). Her powers raise the attack of all creatures of wind by 300!" Mai explained.

A gust of wind blew across the field, lifting Cyber Harpy (2100/1300) a little higher off the ground.

"So what!" Mako shouted, "She still can't beat my Mermaid…NO WAY!"

Mako was cut off once more as Cyber Harpy swung her whip, and his Mermaid Knight was smashed to pieces. Mako gulped and looked at Mai's other card, which was now face up. This one showed the image of a young woman praying while a wall of water rose up behind her.

"I guess that means you're familiar with my Aqua Chorus trap, which gives all monsters that share a name an extra 500 attack and defense, as long as they're on the field together!" Mai laughed.

Cyber Harpy (2600/1800) and Harpy Lady 1 (2100/1900) both let out a screech, harmonizing perfectly with the melody issuing from Mai's trap.

Mako LP: 6300

Mai LP: 3900

Mako blinked in astonishment.

"I know what your trap does Mai, but your monsters don't have the same name!" He yelled.

"Yes they do." Mai explained, "Both Cyber Harpy and Harpy Lady 1 can be treated as though they were named Harpy Lady, which means my Aqua Chorus can affect them!"

Mako looked over the remaining cards in his hand.

"I'll move Cure Mermaid to defense mode, and lay another card face down." He grumbled, "That's all."

The mermaid crouched down, folding her tail in front of herself, and a new card flashed into existence behind her.

Mai reached for her deck, but as she picked up her next card a burst of energy lit up at her fingertips causing her to drop it with a yelp of pain! Mai sucked on her finger for a second, her eyes widening as she saw the Harpy's Pet Dragon she was about to draw slide itself into her graveyard.

"Hey, what gives!" She shouted.

Mako chuckled a little as he pointed to his latest trap, which was now face up.

"My trap card, Drop Off, forces you to discard the card you just drew, so it looks like it won't be helping you any!" Mako explained.

"Keep laughing fish man, I gonna take you out!" Mai growled, "Now Harpy Lady 1, attack his Cure Mermaid!"

The green winged harpy swooped forward, slashing the blonde monster with her foot talons. The mermaid screamed and shattered into fragments!

"Cyber Harpy, it's your turn! Attack his LP directly!" Mai ordered.

Cyber Harpy screeched with glee as she jumped forward, cracking her whip at Mako, who quickly raised a shield of water to keep the attack from actually hitting him.

Mako LP: 3600

Mai LP: 3900

"Your move." Mai announced

Mako drew his next card, and smiled as he looked over his hand.

"I think I'll start by summoning Star Boy (1250/500) in attack mode!" He stated.

A large red star with a mouth full of sharp teeth and one eye appeared in front of Mako. A blue aura began to glow around the monster, who cackled with glee as the blue tattoo appeared on it.

"Just so you know, this monster increases the attack of all water monsters by 500. And now I'll continue by removing one water monster from my graveyard to special summon Aqua Spirit (2300/1200)!" Mako smiled.

He slid Mermaid Knight out of his graveyard, and a young girl with blue hair and a blue dress slowly faded into view in front of him. The girl smiled as the blue aura and tattoos covered her body.

Mai frowned.

"_I don't think I like where this is going."_ She thought

"Aqua Spirit, destroy her Harpy Lady 1 with tidal surge!" Mako shouted.

The girl giggled a little and pointed at the bird woman, and a blast of water immediately slammed Mai's harpy into the ground! Cyber Harpy (1800/1300) looked slightly worried by the loss of her partner.

"End turn." Mako announced.

Mako LP: 3600

Mai LP: 3700

"Don't worry, we'll get him." Mai said to her monster as she drew her new card.

"I don't think you will Mai!" Mako said, "Aqua Spirit, do your thing!"

The watery maiden held up one hand, and a strange mist settled over Cyber Harpy!

"What are you doing this time!" Mai asked.

"I'm using the power of my Aqua Spirit." Mako explained, "It changes the battle position of one of your monsters during your standby phase, and you can't change it for a full turn!"

The crystal in Mako's anklet was shimmering with blue light, and a look that seemed to be a mixture of relief and malice glowed in his eyes.

Mai let out a sigh of frustration and tapped a button on her disk.

"You're going to need a different plan buddy. I activate Divine Wrath, discarding the only card in my hand to negate the activation of your monster's effect and send it to the graveyard!" Mai shouted.

Her card flipped over, and a blast of lightning shot down form the sky! Aqua Spirit let out a scream as she vanished in a puff of smoke.

Mako seemed fairly worried now, but he tapped a button on his own disk. His facedown card quickly turned over.

"D-d-don't think I'm out of th-th-this yet Mai!" He stammered, "I'm p-p-playing my face down card, Rescue Line!"

A strong rope shot out of Mako's face up card, which had the image of a Warrior Dai Grepher being pulled away from a pit of spikes by a Shadow Tamer.

"This c-c-c-card can only be used j-j-just after I lose a m-m-m-monster due to one of your traps or spells, and it allows me to br-br-bring that monster back to my h-h-hand!" Mako stammered, the light of his crystal obscuring Mai's view of his foot.

The card slid out of Mako's grave, and he quickly picked it up.

"Fine," Mai said, "But that won't protect you. Cyber Harpy, destroy his Star Boy!" Mai yelled.

The bird lady cracked her whip out once more, this time slamming it into the star-shaped monster, which let out one last scream before bursting into fragments.

Mako LP: 3050

Mai LP: 3700

Mako was shaking so badly as he drew, that he was barely able to hold his cards!

"I'll r-r-remove Star Boy from p-play to bring back Aqua Spirit (1800/1300)!" He announced.

Once more, the watery maiden stood across the field from Mai, this time looking extremely worried.

Mako slid another two cards into his disk.

"Now I'll s-s-set these c-c-cards and I'm done!" He exclaimed.

Two cards appeared behind the girl, who looked at them with a little bit of worry.

Mai smiled as she drew a new card.

"Well, looks I've taken the lead, and I think I'll keep it!" She said as she held up her card before putting it in her disk, "I play Card of Sanctity!"

The water around them turned golden colored for a few seconds as both duelists replenished their hands and Mai smiled.

"You're toast now. I activate Premature Burial to bring back my Harpy's Pet Dragon (2300/1000)!" She declared.

Mako LP: 3050

Mai LP: 2900

A roar echoed across the field as Mai's red-and-black dragon blasted out of the floor, lowering its head so that the Cyber Harpy could pet it.

"Now I'll also summon one monster in face down defense mode and attack with my dragon!" Mai shouted.

A brown card appeared next to the dragon, which was taking aim at Mako's spirit. But before it could fire, a shimmering grid forced it and Cyber Harpy to the floor!

"Foolish move Valentine!" Mako laughed, "Did you honestly think that there was only one Gravity Bind in my deck? Your monsters are trapped again!"

Mai smiled.

"I noticed you aren't stammering any more." She observed.

"Of course not!" Mako yelled, "I am a courageous warrior of the ocean!"

"I guess it's easy to be 'courageous' against an opponent that you think can't fight back." Mai taunted.

Mako seemed positively _livid._

Mai smirked.

"Oh, by the way, you forgot to use your spirit's effect, so Cyber Harpy is still in attack mode!" She said

Mako winced as he realized Mai was right.

Mai waved her hand to end her turn.

Mako drew and looked over his cards.

"Well now, this is a pleasant surprise! I activate Raising of the Water Master!" He shouted.

A column of water blasted up in front of him, and Mako placed two cards (Amphibious Burgoth MK III and GagaGigo) into it. Immediately, a huge merman burst out of the column, sitting on a huge mother-of-pearl throne!

"I'm sure you remember Water Master-Hydros (2700/2000)!" Mako smiled. "Now my mighty ocean lord, destroy her dragon with waltz of waves!"

Hydros pointed at the dragon, and the water around the field shot toward it. The monster let out a final defiant roar as it was washed off the field by the torrent!

Mako LP: 3050

Mai LP: 2500

Mako pointed at Mai's facedown monster.

"No need for me to suicide my own monster! Aqua Spirit, attack the facedown card!" He ordered.

Aqua Spirit shot a blast of water, causing the facedown card to turn over revealing a strange looking egg which exploded into a mass of feathers!

"Nice move, loser!" Mai shouted, "That monster is known as Harpy's Egg (0/0) and when it's destroyed, I get to special summon a Harpy Lady back from my graveyard!"

A screech sounded, as Harpy Lady 1 (2100/1800) jumped out of the feathers! Cyber Harpy (2600/1800) let out a joyous shriek at being reunited with her friend.

Mako silently cursed, as he looked over his cards.

"I'll end my turn here, but in your standby phase I'll use Aqua Spirit's effect to switch Cyber Harpy to defense mode!" He announced.

Mai drew and watched as a mist settled over her Cyber Harpy, forcing her to her knees.

"You aren't going to get off easy you realize." She said, "I activate Elegant Egotist to special summon the Harpy Lady Sisters (2250/2100)!"

The Cyber Harpy began to glow, and three figures split off, forming into a trio of harpies (one with red hair, one with orange, and one with blue)! The three bird ladies let out a triumphant song as they hovered over the ground.

"And now," Mai continued as she plugged in one more card, "I play Mystical Space Typhoon, and wipe out your Gravity Bind!"

A blast of wind shot forward, annihilating the glowing grid around Mai's monsters. All the birds now stood up, and Mako turned a pale shade of green.

"Now for one last trick!" Mai smiled, "I equip the sisters with Malevolent Nuzzler, giving them an extra 700 attack points!"

The sisters (2950/2100) let out one final song as they glowed with a strange, dark energy!

"Time I ended this!" Mai shouted, "Sisters, destroy his Hydros now!"

As the trio of Harpies bore down on the giant merman however, Mako jammed his entire hand into the graveyard!

"I choose now to activate the power of Hydros!" He declared, "Discarding my entire hand to force you to skip your battle phase!"

Hydros waved his arm, and a wall of water shot up around the harpies, forcing them all back to Mai's half of the field!

Mako chuckled a bit.

"Oh, and I should mention that you have to skip one battle phase for every card I discard, and I just dropped three!" He laughed.

Mai stared at him.

"Hey wait, you didn't mention that last time! I didn't know Hydros could do that!" She yelled.

"That's because I never used his affect last time!" Mako shouted, "Now it's my turn!"

Mako drew his next card and smiled as his facedown card turned over and he drew a second one.

"Oh yeah, my facedown card was a Jar of Greed, letting me draw one extra card when I activate it. Now then, I think it's time to get rid of some pesky birds! Hydros, destroy her Cyber Harpy now!" Mako ordered.

Hydros prepared to launch another attack, when suddenly a huge ghost jumped out of Mai's graveyard! Hydros gasped in fright and pulled back.

"What was that!" Mako shouted, turning just as pale as Hydros had.

"That was a spell called Rescuer from the Grave, I put it there when I activated Divine Wrath." Mai explained as she pulled six cards out of her graveyard, "I just remove it and five other cards in my graveyard from play to force you to skip your battle phase. And I chose to remove Mystical Space Typhoon, Dust Tornado, Harpie's Brother, A Hero Emerges, and Divine Wrath."

Mai slid the cards into the waistband of her skirt, while Mako sighed and waved to end his turn.

As Mai drew though, Aqua Spirit's mist settled over her sisters, forcing them to their knees.

"I can still win this Mako." Mai stated as she slid three cards into her disk, "I'll lay two cards face down, and activate Fissure to destroy your weakest monster!"

Two cards appeared in front of Mai, and a large crack suddenly opened in the ground, swallowing up the Aqua Spirit, who let out one last scream as she fell to her death!

"That's it for my turn." Mai sighed.

Mako glared at Mai as he drew another card.

"Why don't you just give up Mai? You can't win!" Mako shouted.

"I can and I will!" Mai retorted.

Mako looked a little nervous, but then he sneered as he pointed up.

"Look Mai, I don't want to lose my dueling talent any more than you do." He explained, "After all, I'll still need to find my father after this is all over. That's something Needlez can't help me with. It's either you or me down here, and I've already made my choice."

Mai looked up to where Mako was pointing, and noticed a blue tarp over the pool.

"You see Mai, the pool was closed after my comrades and I arrived." Mako explained, "And there's no way for you to get past that tarp. If I win though, I could easily get us both out. If I should lose however, I might be so upset that I…forget to take you out with me."

"You said you didn't want to hurt me!" Mai shouted.

"That was then, this is now! Are you going to throw in the towel or what!" Mako yelled back

Mai stared at Mako, thinking about what he said.

"_He would actually try to kill me? These are some pretty high stakes!"_ She thought.

She continued to look at her opponent, and as she did an image passed before her eyes.

One of a familiar blond-haired boy, staring down her Harpy Lady Sisters at Duelist Kingdom, and not even flinching as he continued to play. He kept trying to match her best monsters. A smile crept across Mai's features, as she remembered her first loss to Joey Wheeler.

"_He just never quit. That's the sort of thing I can respect."_ She thought, _"But why am I thinking of him now?"_

Mai looked at Mako's twitching hands and shifting eyes.

"_He's a coward!"_ She realized, _"There is no way I would just roll over to someone like that! Not if I want to get out of here, and see…"_

The thought trailed off.

"_I know why I decided to come back." _She realized, _"I wanted…to see them all… see my friends…see Joey again! No way will I let them down!"_

Mai shot a look of rage at Mako, who cringed under her glare.

"YOU SERIOUSLY THINK I WOULD ADMIT DEFEAT TO A COWARD LIKE YOU!" She screamed at him, "IF YOU WANT TO WIN, YOU'LL HAVE TO DO IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD EVEN DARE TO MAKE A THREAT LIKE THAT AND STILL CALL YOURSELF A DEULIST!"

Mako stumbled backward, and fell onto his behind. Mai stopped for a minute, panting to catch her breath.

Mako got to his feet, and pointed at Mai's half of the field.

"Hydros, destroy her Harpy Lady Sisters!" He commanded.

Hydros quickly gathered up a blast of sea water, and blasted the trio off the field!

"Your turn Mai." Mako said.

Mai took a deep breath as she drew her next card.

"What happened to you Mako? From what I heard, you prided yourself on never backing down or resorting to cowardly tactics!" Mai asked

Mako seemed shocked, but shook his head.

"I haven't changed Mai, I just discovered a new way to play!" He retorted.

"No you haven't!" Mai shouted, "You've been corrupted by the powers of this seal and that crystal of yours. I've been through the same thing Mako, you don't have to go through what I did."

"Just take your turn!" Mako yelled.

Mai fell silent.

"Fine then, if that's the way you want it." Mai sighed, "But you'll lose on my next turn."

"And why is that?" Mako asked.

"Because next turn, my monsters will be free to attack again!" Mai explained, "So make your last move."

Mako drew and looked over his four-card hand.

"_Levia Dragon, Spell Shield, Umi, and Megamorph?" _He thought, _"These can't help me now!"_

Mako shook his head again.

"I won't fall for your bluff Mai!" He shouted, "There's no way you can win this duel! Hydros, destroy Harpy Lady 1!"

As the water blast launched toward Mai's monster however, it stopped and was tossed aside by a barrier of swirling energy.

"_Thank you Negate Attack."_ Mai thought as she looked at the card she had just flipped.

Mako looked worried and tapped the end turn button on his disk.

"Time to end this." Mai said, "I activate Call of the Haunted to bring back Harpy's Pet Dragon (2900/1000)!"

A roar sounded as the dragon formed from a strange purple mist. The harpies on the field smiled and stroked the beast as it spread its wings.

Mako shuddered, when suddenly a bouncy voice whispered in his ear.

"_Maybe you should have destroyed the Harpy Lady 1 first." _It said.

Mako looked around and saw a sphere of wind floating next to his head.

"_Zeffie! How long have you been here!" _He thought.

"_Since the start of the duel. Timmy went to fight Moky, leaving Zeffie all alone, so Zeffie went looking for other friends, heard your duel start, and decided to listen in! It's been great fun." _The girl explained.

"_I really don't have time for this…"_ Mako sighed

"_Why, 'cause your gonna lose?" _Zeffie asked.

"_I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE!" _Mako yelled.

"_Then why did you threaten Ms. Valentine?" _Zeffie continued, _"Don't people usually do that if their about to lose?"_

"_I did it as a…You know what? It's really none of your business!"_ Mako thought angrily,_ "Why don't you bug one of the others a little!"_

"_OK! Zeffie will find the others and give them a play-by-play, word-for-word account of what happened!" _Zeffie agreed.

Mako paled slightly.

"_Zeffie…"_ He began

"Hey!" Mai shouted, causing Mako to lose his mental connection, "Can we get back to me finishing you off? I'm putting Cyber Harpy back into attack mode"

The bird woman stood up, stretching her wings in the breeze provided by Harpy Lady 1.

"_Drat, I was so afraid of her strong monster, I never thought about why it was a real threat in the first place! She must have left it in defense mode to bait me into destroying it while it was vulnerable instead of her other harpy!" _Mako thought, hoping Zeffie wasn't listening any more.

"Now my dragon, destroy Hydros with firestorm tornado!" Mai ordered.

"Not so fast Mai!" Mako shouted as he slammed his four cards into the graveyard, "Did you forget about Hydros's effect?"

Hydros lifted his arm, forming another water barrier, when a blast of wind and feathers tore it down!

"No I didn't." Mai assured her foe, as she pointed to her now face up card, "That's why I had Harpy Feather Storm face down on the field! It negates the activation of one effect as long as I skip my battle phase! Your turn now."

Mako turned completely white now as his crystal's light increased in intensity. He drew his card and glared at the Megamorph he now held.

"Bad draw?" Mai asked. "You gonna forfeit again?"

"N-n-never!" Mako shouted, "I l-l-lay this c-c-card facedown and end my t-t-t-turn! But b-b-beat me and you know what h-h-h-happens!"

"Then at least I go down knowing I kicked your butt." Mai said. "By the way, you forgot to move Hydros to defense mode, and you could have kept that other card in your hand to use its special ability."

Mako gasped in horror as he realized Mai was right.

"Too late now." Mai smirked, "Dragon, destroy Hydros!"

Harpy's Pet Dragon let loose a blast of flame. Hydros moaned as the fire washed over him, and he was reduced to a pile of ash.

Mako LP: 2850

Mai LP: 2500

"And now, my harpies will finish you off!" Mai shouted.

Mako let out one final scream as the bird women dove forward, striking away the last of his strength.

Mako LP: 0

Mai LP: 2500

Mako moaned as he fell to his knees. The blue seal on the floor quickly closed in around him, and Hydros burst out of the water around him! The merman held one hand over Mako's body, and he screamed as a blue light floated from his body and into the crystal around his ankle.

Mai looked away as Mako screamed, her eyes closed.

"I'm sorry Mako." She whispered.

"So am I!" Mako's voice shouted.

Mai gasped as she looked over to Mako, who was holding up one hand. The light emanating from his anklet was almost blinding, coloring his skin with a tinge of blue.

"I w-w-warned you, I r-r-r-really did." Mako stammered, "I m-m-made a promise I'd f-find my d-d-dad m-myself. I c-c-can feel that I'll only b-b-be able to do that as long as I'm a strong duelist and now you've r-ruined everything!"

The water dome began to shrink as Mako turned into liquid and vanished into the pool. Mai closed her eyes again. Suddenly, a huge splash sounded above Mai's head!

Looking up, she saw a huge red tail tear through the tarp! A pulse of energy flew from it, and Mai gasped as she was forced to the ground, while the water from the pool immediately evaporated except for a man shaped blob that had been near the surface.

The blob changed into Mako, and he screamed as he was sent flying backwards into the pool wall! He landed at the top of the slope which led from the deep end to the shallow, and Mai quickly ran up to him.

Placing to fingers to his neck, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"_He still has a pulse, and he's breathing fine."_ She thought, _"Don't envy the headache he'll have when he gets up though."_

Looking at the tail, Mai stared at it.

"_I recognize that tail." _She realized, _"It belongs to Slifer the Sky Dragon! Guess someone up their likes me."_

She gasped in horror though as yellow stars began to appear on the tail!

"_But I don't think they like Yugi very much! I better get up there!"_ She thought.

As she pulled herself out of the pool, she didn't notice Mako dissolve into a puddle of water and disappear…

-------------------------------------------

In the meantime, Brian and Joey were running up the stair. They both stopped as a nearby window suddenly shattered, spraying the area in front of them with broken glass!

"What's happening?" Brian shouted.

Looking out the remains of the window, Joey grinned as he saw a red tail just outside it.

"Looks to me like Yugi summoned one of his Egyptian God Monsters." Joey smiled as he turned toward Brian, "He must have added them last night, after Celeste came after him at school."

"Umm…Joey, I don't think _Yugi_ summoned that." Brian mumbled.

Joey turned around and gasped in horror as he saw the yellow stars appear.

--------------------------------------

Zeffie was staring up at the roof of the research facility, and smiled as she saw a huge, red monster bust out of the clouds. It was quickly covered in yellow stars, and Zeffie jumped into the air and began to fly toward the roof.

"Now this looks like _fun_!" Zeffie cheered as she soared upward.

_Now you know that this can't be good. If you want to know what's happening and what's going to happen, you'd better read our next chapter_

_Supernova_

_See ya then (hopefully)_

---

Original Cards

---

Rescue Line

Trap

Image of a Warrior Dai Grepher being pulled away from a spike pit by a Shadow Tamer.

You can only activate this card when one of your monsters is sent from the field to the graveyard by the effects of one of your opponent's cards. Return the monster to your hand.

---

Harpy Egg

Monster/Effect

1 star

0 attack

0 defense

Wind

Winged Beast

When this card is destroyed in battle, select one monster named 'Harpy Lady' in your graveyard and special summon it to the field in face up attack mode.

---

Harpy Feather Storm

Trap

Negate the activation of one monster effect. You must skip your battle phase this turn

_This card was first used by Mai in the anime episode "My Funny Valentine (part 2). All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

---

Rescuer from the Grave

Spell

You may only use this card if your opponent declares an attack. Remove this card and five other cards in your graveyard from play. Negate your opponent's attack and end their battle phase.

_This card was first used by Raphael in the anime episode "Fate of the Pharaoh (part 1)." All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._


	13. Supernova

Disclaimer: No time for a funny disclaimer today, so we'll just say we only own the fan characters and cards unless otherwise noted.

_Previously,_

_The elemental duelists had just attacked, Mako sweeping Mai off her feet (literally!) and challenging her to a duel at the bottom of Kaiba Corp. employee swimming pool. The once noble duelist offered Mai a choice: Her talent or her life. Mai took Mako down, and was saved from drowning by Slifer's tail entering the pool! Unfortunately, it was covered in yellow stars..._

**Chapter 12**

**Supernova**

A moment ago, in Kaiba's Office…

A flash of light filled the room.

"Not her!" Tea shouted, "Yugi, watch out!"

The warning came too late. Celeste appeared behind Yugi and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She didn't say a word as she and the boy vanished in a second flash.

"This is bad." Tristan shouted, "This is very, very bad."

"But how could they know about us meeting here?" Kaiba asked.

"Celeste was with us when we planned it." Tea explained, "And she's the one that just grabbed Yugi!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------

In a flash, Yugi found himself on the roof of Kaiba corp., facing Celeste.

"Where is everyone Celeste?" Yugi asked shakily looking around for a way out.

"Don't worry." Celeste smirked, "You'll be together again soon. That is of course after we've collected your talents"

"Celeste, you don't have to do this!" Yugi argued.

"Yes I do." Celeste responded, "It's the only way. Don't worry though, someday you'll thank me for this!"

A flash of light came from the Millennium Puzzle as Yami took over.

"I had hoped that you had learned your lesson after our last duel, but if it's a rematch you want it's a rematch you'll get!" The king shouted as their disks activated.

"We'll see." Celeste sighed, "But do you think I could duel Yugi instead of you Pharaoh?"

Yami gasped in shock.

"You know who I am?" He asked.

"Needlez explained to me that Yugi shares a body with the spirit of an ancient pharaoh." Celeste explained, "Seeing as he suddenly grew about six inches and got a much deeper voice, I'm going to assume that he's no longer dueling me in person, but is acting as a dueling partner for you."

Yami frowned.

"Celeste, when we first met, I could feel that you had a good heart. You still do! There is no reason for you to do this!" He protested.

"I'm sorry pharaoh, but this is the only way the world will finally know true peace." Celeste declared.

"Peace can't be obtained through violence or thievery." Yami shouted, "Celeste, I know you don't want to hurt me!"

"Your right, I don't want to…" Celeste whispered.

She looked at Yami with a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"I have to." She stated, "I'm sorry pharaoh."

"Call me Yami." The spirit responded, "And if you truly feel there is no other way, then I'll simply have to prove you wrong…"

"TIME TO DUEL!" Both of them shouted at the same time.

Celeste: 8000

Yugi: 8000

As each duelist drew their opening hands, a blue green spark appeared before Celeste!

"_Celeste, I just wish to remind ye that ye must defeat Yugi, not the pharaoh."_ Needlez's voice explained.

"_I know, but the pharaoh refuses to leave!."_ Celeste thought

"_Then here's some advice: hit the pharaoh until he passes out."_ Needlez suggested, _"I'll leave ye to yer duel now!"_

The spark vanished.

"_I hope I'm doing the right thing…"_ Celeste said to herself as she looked toward her foe.

"Would you like to go first Yami?" She asked

"No, I think you may have that honor Celeste." Replied her opponent.

"Fine." Celeste sighed.

Celeste began to study her hand.

"_It seems that once again Lady Luck is on my shoulder." _She thought.

She held up a card and grinned as she placed it into the field slot on her duel disk.

"I open my turn with the magic card: The Elemental Seal of Light!" Celeste called out.

The field began to glow as a yellow star etched into the center of the roof and stars began to appear on Celeste's body. She began to laugh as she put two more cards into her disk.

"After that I'll lay one card face down and summon a familiar face, say hello to my Creator Incarnate (1800/1500)!" She declared.

A tall man in golden armor and carrying a scimitar appeared on the field. Behind him was a facedown card.

"Are you going to feed him to your seal for a measly 900 LP!" shouted Yami, "You still do not respect your deck!"

Celeste sighed.

"You do know it's rude to interrupt right? And anyway while yes my monster is going to be sacrificed it will only be for his-own good." Celeste explained, "Only through his own demise can he reach his true power! The power to create an army of monsters capable of defeating you! I activate his special ability to destroy him and summon a monster known as: The Creator (2500/3000)!"

The golden armored man began to shine with a blazing light. He faded from view, and in his place appeared a humongous golden statue with a giant ring behind it! The creature crossed it's arms in a defensive position.

"Behold one of the greatest monsters in my deck! He's going in defense mode just in case you try anything funny," Celeste declared, "but his special ability will ensure that I have plenty of other monsters to attack with! Once per turn, I may discard a card from my hand to special summon any monster I choose from my graveyard!"

Yami gasped in fright!

"Your move." Celste pointed out.

Yami just stared at the monster in awe, and Yugi appeared next to him.

"_Watch out Yami!" _Yugi warned, _"That thing is amazing!"_

"_Don't worry partner, I already have a plan."_ Yami responded, _"She may have summoned a powerful monster in her first turn, but she fails to realize two things: first, that I have monsters that are capable of defeating it easily, and second is that she has no monsters in her grave that are worth summoning."_

"You won't intimidate me so easily Celeste!" Yami said, drawing his first card, "I set one monster in defense mode and that's all."

Two facedown cards appeared in front of Yami, and at the same time Celeste's card turned over!

"Before you end your turn, I activate Solemn Wishes!" Celeste explained, "So now I gain 500 life points every time I draw a card. Like right now, since your turn is done."

A golden light shined down on Celeste as she drew, and her life points jumped.

Celeste: 8500

Yugi: 8000

"And now I play Pot of Greed to draw two more cards." Celeste laughed as more light shined onto her and she pulled two cards off her deck.

Celeste: 9000

Yugi: 8000

"Next I will play Feather of the Phoenix." Celeste announced as she slid a card into her disk, "This spell allows me to discard one card from my hand to bring one back from the grave and place it on top of my deck."

A glowing red feather appeared in front of Celeste, who quickly slid one card into her graveyard, and another card was ejected. She placed it onto her deck and smiled at her opponent

"I just revived my Pot of Greed, just so you know." She declared.

"Anything else?" Yami queried.

"Actually yes," Celeste grinned, "To use my feather, I discarded a monster called Airknight Parshath, so now I'll discard one card to bring him back using The Creator!" Celeste announced.

She slid another card into her graveyard, and the giant extended one arm. A pulse of light shot from its hand, and a flurry of feathers appeared. They parted to reveal a six winged centaur in blue armor. The blond creature looked around then gave a quick bow to its master, which Celeste returned with a warm smile and a nod.

"Since The Creator is in defense mode he won't be destroyed if your facedown card is that Mirror Force, so he'll still be around to revive Parshath if it is! Now go and destroy his defense monster Parshath!" Celeste ordered.

The monster charged forward, swinging a shining blade toward Yugi's creature, which flipped up to reveal an elven warrior in green armor. The warrior parried the centaur's blow and Yugi smiled.

"It won't be so easy Celeste, you've attacked my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) who can't be destroyed in battle with a monster who has an attack above 1900." Yami announced

"That may be true, but my AirKnight has a trample effect! When he does battle with a monster in defense position, the damage will still get through if my monster's attack is higher!" Celeste shouted.

Parshath's blade began to glow, and a pulse of light flew from its tip right into Yami's chest. Yami grunted in pain and stumbled backward.

Celste: 9000

Yami: 7100

"Also when Parshath does damage to your life points, I can draw a card. And that means Solemn Wishes goes to work again!" Celeste explained as she drew a card and another beam of golden light shone down on her.

Celeste: 9500

Yami: 7100

"It's your turn now Yami." Celeste giggled.

Yami drew his card and smiled as he slid two cards into his disk.

"I set one card face down. Next I activate a card which Seto Kaiba inspired me to add to my deck…Soul Exchange!"

Celeste gasped in horror as a strange glow surrounded The Creator.

"_But I didn't even have him out for three turns!" _She protested in her head, _"And I can't special summon him from the graveyard!"_

"Now I may sacrifice one of your monsters in place of my own. So I will destroy your Creator…" Yami announced.

There was a pulse of light as Celeste's giant vanished from the field.

"…Plus my own Celtic Guardian…" Yami continued

The elf glowed, and vanished in a flurry of sparks as Yami placed a card onto his field.

"…To summon my Dark Magician (2500/2100)!" Yami concluded.

A huge blob of purple energy appeared on Yami's side of the field. It cleared away, leaving the purple robed magician, staring down Celeste's centaur.

"I have to give up my battle phase though, so I can't attack this turn. But I'll be after your Knight next turn so prepare to say goodbye!" Yami declared.

At first Celeste looked like she was going to throttle Yami, but suddenly the ring on her hand began to glow slightly and the cold expression from their earlier duel surfaced.

"You seem to think that I would care, well guess again!" Celeste said in a stoic voice.

The Airknight's eyes widened and he looked at his master with sadness and disbelief. Celeste's eyes began to soften but her ring flashed again and all trace of kindness was gone.

"_Yami, something is wrong here... very wrong."_ Thought Yugi.

"_I can feel it too."_ Yami realized, _"It's that ring, it's controlling her emotions!"_

Celeste drew and the golden light moved to shine down on her when Yugi's face down card turned over.

"Sorry Celeste, but I activate the Bad Reaction to Simochi! Now…" Yami started.

"I'll lose 500 LP instead of gaining them." Celeste concluded, "I was hoping you might try to come up with something a little more original."

A blast of purple smog surrounded Celeste, who didn't even flinch

Celeste: 9000

Yugi: 7100

Celeste looked over the field and waved her hand.

"I'll just end my turn here." She announced.

Yami drew his next card and nodded toward his magician.

"Now I activate Card of Sanctity!" He called out.

The roof flashed with golden light. Celeste and Yugi both drew, Celeste quickly being surrounded by a purple cloud as she did.

Celeste: 8500

Yugi: 7100

Yami winced as he looked as his hand.

"What's wrong, got a bad hand?" Celeste asked.

"_Actually, yes." _Yugi commented.

"_But we still have a slight advantage. She didn't even bother to put Parshath into defense mode."_ Yami pointed out.

"Now then, I told you I would attack and I'm still going to, so now your Airknight is no more! Dark magic attack!" Yami ordered.

Dark Magician raised his staff, pointing it toward Parshath who cast one last, sad look at Celeste before being blown into pixels. Yami sighed in relief.

"Your turn Celeste." He stated.

Celeste: 8100

Yugi: 7100

Celeste drew her next card, and the purple smog covered her again.

Celeste: 7600

Yami: 7100

"I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands (1600/1000)" She declared.

A monster with hands all over his body appeared on the field holding a card out to Celeste, who silently accepted it.

"His special ability allows me to search my deck for a ritual spell or monster, so I will retrieve my Light Mistress Cruz from my deck." Celeste said, "And fortunately for me, I already had my ritual spell card in my hand!"

Celeste turned the two cards around, showing them to Yami. The spiky duelist drew back a little as Celeste placed them both onto her disk.

"I will activate my ritual spell card Prayer to the Light Mistress!" Celeste declared, "And I'll discard my Penguin Soldier and my Thunder Nyan Nyan to summon Light Mistress Cruz (1700/2000)."

A ball of light appeared on the field, and Celeste placed two cards into it. The orb floated into the air, and out of it stepped a beautiful six winged fairy with long white hair and pale purple skin.

"What are you thinking Celeste? Your monster not strong enough to destroy my Magician. Unless you plan to martyr your Manju?" Yami pointed out.

"Oh don't worry, I've got that covered." Celeste said as she slid another card into her disk and a strange golden cross bow appeared on Cruz's arm, "I activate Ritual Weapon to give Cruz an extra 1500 attack points (3200/2000)."

Cruz pointed the weapon at Dark Magician, with a small smile on her face.

"Now then, teach Yami some manners. Destroy his monster with starlight sonata." Celeste ordered.

Cruz fired off the arrow, which split into hundreds of points of light before striking down the Dark Magician, who screamed before shattering into fragments of magic.

Celeste: 7600

Yugi: 6400

Cruz moved her hands into a praying position, and a yellow aura began to shimmer around her body.

"Yami, I'm sure you remember Cruz's (3400/2000) other ability, the one that says she gains 200 attack points for every non-light monster she destroys." Celeste reminded her foe.

"I remember Celeste, but please remember pride comes before a fall! If you get to confident it will cloud your judgment." Yami responded with a grimace.

"My judgment is clear as is my goal. Now I'll attack you directly with Manju! Thousand hand slap!" Celeste shouted.

As the multi-handed monster lunged forward though, Yami slid a card into his graveyard. Immediately, a small ball of brown fur jumped onto the field.

"Sorry Celeste, but I discard Kuriboh to protect my self from your monster's assault." Yami announced.

Manju grabbed the monster, who squeaked in fear, and mercilessly slammed it into the ground.

"Fine then, it's your turn." Celeste said.

Yami drew and looked at his card.

"Very well I summon a monster in defense mode and one more card face down." He declared as two more brown cards appeared in front of him.

Celeste looked at the two cards.

"Done?" She asked.

Yami nodded, and Celeste drew, waving away the purple mist as she did.

Celeste: 7100

Yugi: 6400

As Celeste looked over her hand, Yugi looked over the field.

"_That facedown monster had better be good." _He quipped.

_"Umm...it's the Giant Soldier of Stone why?" _Yami thought.

"_We may have bought our selves a turn, she's being cautious." _Yugi chuckled.

"First I'll summon Agent of Creation Venus (1800/0)." Celeste announced as she placed a card on her disk.

A young woman with a peaceful look on her face and a pair of golden wings appeared.

"Then I will pay 1000 life points to use her effect." Celeste continued, "I can summon a monster known as Mystic Shine Ball (700/500) from my deck for every 500 life points I surrender. So I get two."

Two shimmering blue orbs materialized onto the field, each one with a yellow star glowing in its center.

Celeste: 6100

Yami: 6400

Celeste looked at Yami's field, and a flicker of doubt crossed her face.

"I end my turn." She declared.

"_See! We've got her worried she didn't attack."_ Yugi cheered.

Yami however wasn't quite convinced that Celeste was on the ropes.

"_Watch it. After all this dueling we only lead by 300 points, and Celeste is no pushover." _Yami thought as he drew his next card.

"I play Card Destruction." He declared as he placed the card into his disk.

As both duelists discarded and drew, Celeste winced slightly as Yami's trap drained away more of her LP.

Celeste: 5600

Yugi: 6400

Yami smiled as he saw one of the cards in his hand.

"Because it was drawn by my magic card I will now special summon my Watapon to the field!" He declared.

A squeaking noise filled the air, and the cotton ball fairy jumped out of the card. It looked up at Celeste with a big smile, which was quickly returned with a cold glare.

"Since that was a special summon, I will sacrifice Watapon for Summoned Skull (2500/1200)!" Yami continued.

Watapon gave one last squeak, before vanishing in a burst of pixels. In its place appeared a huge skeleton with horns jutting from its temples. It's body still had muscle tissue holding it together, and it glared down at Celeste with its vile eyes.

"Now, Summoned Skull, destroy Manju with your Lightning Strike!" Yami ordered.

Summoned Skull unleashed a huge blast of electricity, striking down the fairy and causing it to shatter like glass.

Celeste: 4700

Yugi: 6400

"I lay one card down and end my turn Celeste." Yami finished.

A new card appeared behind the skeleton. Celeste drew her new card, and more of her life points were removed.

Celeste: 4200

Yugi: 6400

Celeste looked at the card she had drawn.

"_Perfect."_ She said to herself.

"I sacrifice both Mystic Shine Balls and Venus to summon my Moisture Creature (3000/2900) to the field." Celeste announced in her monotonous droll.

At this the floor in front of Celeste rippled as if it were made of water and absorbed the three monsters. Yami noticed two golden globes shifting underneath the surface, and just then the light from the seal glowed and mist rose from the water with the globes in the center of the mist suddenly both of the globe seemed to focus on him.

"_They're eyes!" _He thought as a monster that looked like a large water drop formed in front of Celeste.

Suddenly, Yami's spell and trap zone was covered in mist. All the cards in the mist shuddered, then were pulled into the strange monster!

"_Yugi?" _Yami thought,_ "What happened? She just destroyed my Mirror Force, and all my other cards!"_

But before Yugi could answer Celeste's monotone voice rang out over the field.

"My Moisture Creature is an effect monster. When I sacrifice three monsters from the field to summon it, I get to destroy all your magic and trap cards. Now Moisture Creature, attack his skull." Celeste ordered.

Moisture Creature (3000/2900) formed several tendrils of mist which reached out and ripped the Summoned Skull (2500/1200) apart. Then, one reached out and gently brushed Yami's face. He gasped at the cold embrace of the limb, and his life points dropped

Celeste: 4200

Yugi: 5900

"And Cruz, now it's your turn. Attack with Sonata of Starlight." Celeste ordered.

Cruz fired off another volley of arrows, which embedded themselves in the facedown stone soldier. The monster appeared, and groaned before being blasted to rubble.

Cruz (3600/2000) began to pray again as her aura strengthened itself.

"That will end my turn." She announced.

Yami drew and studied his hand as he thought of his next move.

"I shall activate Heavy Storm." He declared.

A huge wind shot around the field, wiping out Cruz's (2100/2000) weapon and Celeste's Solemn wishes card. Yet, Celeste's stoic expression didn't waver.

"Now, I lay another card face down and end my turn." Yami stated as he placed another card into his disk.

The card materialized before him.

Celeste drew and nodded at the new card. She slid it into her disk, and a single ray of light descended in front of her.

"That's the most pathetic bluff I've ever seen." Celeste announced in her monotone, "I activate Premature Burial to revive a monster you made me discard with Card Destruction. Prepare to meet: Guardian Angel Joan."

Celeste: 3400

Yugi: 5900

A circle of light appeared in the sky above the field and Joan's sword dropped to the ground. Following behind it was Joan herself, in a plain white dress. She hovered beside the battle scarred blade, looked at it, picked it up, and gave it a swing.

As it swung, the sword began to glow, starting at the tip and moving down the blade. The sword changed into an intricately decorated sash, and where it touched the dress the design migrated onto it. When this transformation was complete, the sash wrapped around both of Joan's arms and the glow concentrated behind her, forming a pair of luminous wings.

"Now prepare to face her wrath." Celeste droned on, "Joan, attack."

As Joan flew forward, a huge monster jumped out and let loose a terrifying roar!

Joan gasped and flew back in fear, she and Cruz quickly attempted to hide behind the shaking Moisture Creature.

"You still haven't learned have you?" Yami asked, "My Threatening Roar trap can stop all your monsters from attacking, no matter how strong they are!"

"Then I end my turn." Celeste concluded.

Yami drew his card and set both his remaining cards facedown. The two cards appeared in front of him, and he waved to end his turn.

"What no incredibly long self-righteous speeches? I'm hurt." Cooed the light duelist.

Of course the phrase would have sounded mocking if Celeste actually had some emotion in her voice.

She drew her card.

"I lay two cards facedown and play Card of Sanctity." She said.

The two cards Celeste had placed into her disk materialized. Then another flash of gold lit up the roof.

As Yami drew his cards and he and Yugi both gasped. Sitting right there on the far right was the Egyptian God Monster, Slifer the Sky Dragon!

-------------------------------------------------

Last night…

After talking with Professor Hawkins to about eleven p.m., Yugi and Yami were carefully looking over their cards.

"You have any good ideas Yami?" Yugi asked as he picked up his deck.

"_Well, the last time we faced this sort of thing Dartz tried to steal the Egyptian God Cards."_ Yami pointed out, _"It might be a good idea to keep them with us, just in case."_

"The God Cards!" Yugi gasped, "But they're so powerful that…"

"_I know, we only use them in emergencies."_ Yami sighed, _"But if there's a chance they'll be stolen, and, considering what we're up against, there probably is, we should have them in our deck. Then no one can get them with out us knowing."_

"If you say so…" Yugi muttered as he headed toward the door.

He quietly went downstairs, and carefully slid the God Cards from their resting place on the top shelf in the game store…

_-------------------------------------------------_

"_I almost forgot that we put the God Cards in!"_ Yugi cheered, _"This has to be a good sign!"_

"_Don't underestimate our opponent Yugi!" _Yami scolded, _"We may have Slifer, but we lack the means to summon him. Plus, Celeste still seems to be planning something."_

Celeste placed one card into her disk.

"Now I activate Exchange." She declared

Yami and Yugi both gasped in horror as Celeste walked up to them and held out her hand.

Yami looked over the cards, and sighed as he took Heavy Storm.

She looked at his hand and a shadow of a smile appeared on her face.

" I've always wanted to use this card." She said as she plucked a card from Yami's hand, "How nice of you to put it in for me. I'll just take Slifer the Sky Dragon."

"Celeste! You won't be able to control it! Remember these aren't just holograms, the dragon will be as real as you are!" Yami shouted with fear in his voice.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Needlez grumbled a bit to himself as he struggled to come up with a reason the Brian could have resisted the crystal, when he noticed another duel beginning to fade from view.

"Oh no ye don't." He whispered, focusing his watch on the duels still playing in front of him.

"I may have lost my Duelist of Darkness, but I'll not lose the rest of ye."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celeste's crystal dimmed a little, but then flared again even brighter as she responded.

"Is that supposed to discourage me? I am _the_ Elemental Duelist of Light! I can wield the power of the angels, and even creation it self. One Egyptian God Monster should be well within my control." She announced.

"Then I'll have to stop you for your own good!" Yami called out.

One of his facedown cards turned over, revealing the image of a Frontier Wiseman and a Freed the Matchless General in what appeared to be a standoff in the middle of a large room.

"I activate Limit Tribute! Now each of us may only sacrifice one monster per turn." Yami shouted as the air around them rippled with strange energy.

Celeste just shook her head.

"That can't help you now. My regular monsters can finish you easily. Moisture Creature, attack." Celeste ordered.

At those last two words, Moisture Creature began to hover around Yami, enveloping him with its body. Yami began to shake as he felt like he was sinking in ice water and with each breath his lungs got heavier.

At the last minute before passing out though he heard Yugi to call him.

"_Yami, hang in there!"_

As Yami turned to respond he shook off the creature, which drifted back to Celeste with an annoyed sigh before returning to its spot on the field.

Celeste: 3400

Yugi: 2900

"Cruz, it's your turn." Celeste stated.

Cruz began to chant, and Yugi stared at his partner, who was shaking on his feet.

"_Yami, what are you doing, our face down card could stop her!"_ Yugi shouted

But Yami just stood there, with a dazed look on his face. He then screamed as a swirling blast of light surrounded his body.

Celeste: 3400

Yugi: 800

"Joan, finish this." Celeste droned.

"Guess…again." A voice gasped as Yami's facedown card turned over, "I activate Dimension Wall, so you take the battle damage instead of me!"

Celeste blinked in surprise as Joan flew forward and swung a sword of light at her opponent. Suddenly, the sword vanished just in front of its intended target and Celeste gasped in pain as she felt it slice along her back!

Celeste: 400

Yugi: 800

"What the…" Celeste started.

Then she saw that her opponent had shrunk about a foot and was panting heavily.

"Sorry Celeste." Yugi said, "But Yami passed out after Moisture Creature attacked, so I'll finish this duel in his place."

"That's perfect, seeing as you're my intended target. That meddling spirit was just in the way." Celeste explained, "There's nothing more I can do, so it's your turn."

Yugi drew, smiling as he held up one of the cards.

"Okay then Celeste, I activate the Heavy Storm I took from you, and I'll use it to destroy every spell and trap on the field." He announced.

"Fool, you'll destroy Limit Tribute and then I'll be able to summon Slifer." Celeste said.

"Wrong!" Yugi shouted, "Heavy Storm destroys all spells and traps, including Premature Burial. Once that's gone you'll lose Joan!"

A strong wind once more picked up around the field, but Celeste didn't seem worried.

"Well then," Celeste said as one of her cards turned over, "I'll just use my facedown Magic Jammer to stop this storm at the cost of one card from my hand."

Celeste slid a card into her graveyard, and the winds halted.

"Now then, before you try anything smart, I think I'll activate one of the cards you just tried to destroy." Celeste continued.

Her facedown card turned over, but the image was obscured as a cloud of black dust blasted out of it.

"It's called Infestation." Celeste explained, "I normally don't use cards like this, but Lord Needlez felt it was necessary. I merely subtract 100 attack points from every monster on the field and the total is deducted from both of our LP."

The black cloud dispersed, and a wave of energy caused both duelists and monsters to stumble. Cruz (2500/2000), Joan (2900/2000), and Moisture Creature (2900/2900) all looked a little drained as the dust cleared.

Celeste: 100

Yugi: 500

Yugi frowned as he looked over his cards.

"Alright then," He said as he took three cards out of his hand, "I summon Queens Knight (1500/1600) in attack mode, play one card face down, and activate the Swords of Revealing Light."

A young woman in red armor materialized in front of Yugi, followed by a facedown card. Then a cage of glowing swords slammed down around Celeste, who just looked at them without showing the slightest bit of concern.

"That's it, your move." Yugi announced.

Celeste drew, and held up a card from her hand.

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, and use it to destroy Limit Tribute." She declared.

A blast of wind fired out, and slammed into the card, but as it did another one of Yugi's cards turned over.

"I can guess what you're trying to do Celeste," Yugi shouted, "so before you have the chance to summon Slifer I'll use my quickplay spell card: Magical Academy!"

The card showed the image of several students wearing graduation caps and gowns, and suddenly a flurry of hats jumped out of the card and Queens Knight vanished.

"What's going on?" Celeste asked.

"Simple." Yugi explained, "Magical Academy lets me sacrifice one monster on my side of the field to summon a Spellcaster type monster. What's more, the monster I summon will be given an extra 500 attack points and raise its level by one star. So here comes Dark Magician Girl (2800/1500)!"

The hats cleared the area, and in place of Queens Knight was the Spellcaster girl twirling her staff with a big smile on her face. She turned toward Yugi and gave him a wink, then turned back to Celeste.

"She can't help you now. I have studied all that I can about the Egyptian God Monsters." Celeste explained, "I know that if I summon Slifer this duel will be mine. Your facedown cards are probably traps meant to destroy my monsters, but the gods are immune to such tricks. Also, spells only work on them for one turn, so once I summon Slifer I won't even need to wait for your swords to run out."

Celeste held up a card, which began to glow with unearthly light.

"These monsters have been useful, but now I shall sacrifice Joan, Cruz, and Moisture Creature…"

The three monsters began to float into the air, all of them looking down at Celeste with sad, sympathetic looks which were ignored.

"…And summon **SLIFER THE SKY DRAGON!**"

A clash of thunder shook the sky, and a gigantic, serpentine, red dragon descended from the clouds and wrapped itself around the building, causing windows and doors to shatter and fall apart as it settled its head near Celeste. It let out an annoyed growl as the yellow stars appeared on its body!

-------------------------

Inside Kaiba's office, Tea, Tristan, and Seto were watching a series of t.v. screens.

"The security cameras aren't finding anything!" Tea moaned.

"That was forty-thousand dollars well spent." Seto grumbled.

Suddenly, a loud rumble began to shake the building…

"Uh-oh…" Tristan muttered.

A huge red tail began to slither by the window…

"That's Slifer…GET DOWN!" Kaiba shouted.

The three of them hit the floor as the extra large window behind Kaiba's desk shattered into a million fragments!

"EVERY SINGLE TIME!" Seto screamed, "DOES THE WORLD HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST MY BUILDINGS!"

As if in response, the section of wall that had been knocked in by Gold fell out again.

"That's a yes." Tristan muttered as Kaiba roared in frustration.

"Oh no." Tea gasped.

Looking back toward the window, Kaiba and Tristan saw yellow stars cover the large red figure.

"YUGI!" Tea screamed.

---------------------------

"I control Slifer (3200/3000) now!" Celeste shouted, "And my seal gives me unwavering control over it just like the Seal of Oricalcos did for Obelisk the Tormentor!"

Celste reached up, and gently began to scratch the god's jaw line. Yugi shot her a confused look, then gasped as Slifer tilted its head toward Celeste and began to growl softly.

"_It sounds like a big cat!" _Yugi thought, _"She really wasn't kidding about that 'unwavering control' line."_

"Now back to the duel. I now have three cards in my hand, but thanks to the Swords of Revealing Light, I can't attack with Slifer (3200/3000) until my next turn. I also can't risk you trying anything tricky, so I'll lay one card face down and end here." Celeste declared.

A facedown card materialized, and Slifer (2200/2000) growled a little as his attack decreased.

Yugi drew and he looked at Celeste's facedown card.

"_I can't tell whether or not she's bluffing because of that empty expression of hers."_ Yugi thought, _"I could try to attack Slifer, but I can't risk her destroying Dark Magician Girl. She's my last hope, so I'll just have to hope our plan works!"_

"I won't risk your facedown card, so I'll end my turn here Celeste!" Yugi shouted.

"Excellent." Celeste said as she drew her next card, "It doesn't matter what you have facedown now. Slifer has 3200 attack points thanks to the three cards in my hand and the 200 it gains from my seal."

The god growled in agreement, and Celeste pointed at Yugi's lone monster.

"You don't stand a chance. Slifer, attack Dark Magician Girl with Thunder Force!" Celeste commanded.

Slifer opened his mouth, and a huge orb of energy gathered in between its jaws.

"_Here it comes…"_ Yugi thought as he placed a finger on his duel disk.

The energy continued to gather, and then it finally launched! A huge column beam of electricity was sent blazing toward Yugi's side of the field, but right before it reached Dark Magician Girl, two cylinders appeared.

"I will redirect your attack with Magic Cylinder!" Shouted Yugi

"No you won't!" Celeste responded, "Activate Trap Jammer, which negates and destroys one trap during any battle phase!"

Celeste's card lifted and a purple mist wrapped around the tubes. They shook for a minute, then exploded! Slifer's attack continued toward Yugi, who just smiled.

"What are you so happy about?" Celeste asked.

Suddenly, the last second before the attack hit, Yugi's last facedown card flipped over.

The Dark Magician Girl immediately formed a magic shield, and deflected the wave of electricity back toward Slifer, along with a bit of her own power!

The god let out a terrible roar as it exploded in a blast of magical energy, and Celeste screamed as the force of the attack knocked her to the ground, blowing her to the very edge of her seal!

Celeste: 0

Yugi: 200

As the seal closed in on Celeste she smiled openly for the first time since Yugi met her. "Let me guess: you activated Reinforcements?"

"Yes, giving my magician 100 more attack points than Slifer." Said the boy.

It was then that he noticed Celeste was making no move to break the seal.

"Aren't you going to break the seal before it takes your talent?" He yelled

Celeste shook her head.

"I promised my master I would get him a light aligned talent even if it was my own." She held up her hand, showing that her ring was extinguished, "And even if I tried to go back on my word he took away the ability to do so. But could you answer me one question: How did you overcome the power of my light?"

"I didn't Celeste." Yugi explained. "I believe that the minute you turned your heart away from your monsters during the first few turns, you defeated your own light."

Celeste got to her feet and spread her arms as Cruz appeared over her! The fairy raised one hand, and drew a small yellow light out of Celeste's body and forced it into her ring!

Yugi winced, and then looked up as he heard a giggle. Floating above him was a girl with blond hair, wearing Native American style clothing and feathers in her hair!

"Oh, poor Celesty, you lost didn't you?" The girl laughed.

"What was your _first _clue?" Celeste asked, "You saw Slifer get blasted didn't you?"

Yami stared at the young girl, and finally spoke up.

"Excuse me young lady but...who are you?" He asked.

The girl turned around and smiled.

"Hello Mr. Yugi! Zeffie's name is Zeffie Gale, the Elemental Duelist of Wind! And now that Celesty lost, Zeffie has her chance to be Number One!" The girl cheered.

She quickly flicked her duel disk into a battle ready position, when suddenly a sphere of blue-green light materialized in front of her and Celeste!

"_Not now Zeffie! I need all of ye to report back immediately!" _Needlez shouted.

Zeffie seemed shocked and then upset.

"Come on Zeffie, you heard him!" Celeste sighed.

"But it's no fair!" Zeffie whined, "Zeffie didn't get to play!"

"I'll play with you when we get back, now come on!" Celeste ordered.

The two girls both headed toward the edge of the building. Yugi ran forward, trying to catch up to them.

"CELESTE STOP! I'VE HEARD OF THE ELEMENTAL MASTER! I DON'T KNOW WHAT PLAN YOUR MASTER HAS INVOLVING HIM, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A PART OF IT!" He shouted.

Celeste cast one last look back at the boy, another tear falling down her cheek, then vanished in a pulse of light! Zeffie smiled as she began to fly away, carried on the wind!

"Celesty isn't the best any more!" Zeffie shouted back to Yugi, "Which means Zeffie gets to be your next opponent, so watch yourself!"

Zeffie giggled as she floated away, stumbling in midair as a pulse of light hit her in the side of the head!

Back on the roof, the Millenium Puzzle shimmered for a second, then stopped.

"Are you okay partner?" Yugi asked.

"_Define 'okay.'" _Yami groaned.

"Looks like we still have some deuling ahead of us." Yugi sighed.

_"It would appear so."_ Pharaoh nodded, _"We must maintain caution. Now, let us reunite with the others."_

_Another victory for Yugi and friends, now let's just hope it holds up. Next time, see what Ishizu and Gold have been doing in a chapter titled_

_Fighting the Mountain_

_See ya then!_

Original Cards

---

Limit Tribute

Continuous Trap

Image of Frontier Wiseman and Freed the Matchless General in a stand off

Neither player may sacrifice more than one monster per turn, for any reason, as long as this card remains face up.

_This card was first used by Raphael in the anime episode "Fate of the Pharaoh (Part 3)." All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode_

---

Infestation

Trap

All monsters on the field lose 100 attack points. Both payers lose life points equal to the number of monsters on the field times 100.

_This card was first used by Weevil Underwood in the anime episode "On the Wrong Track (Part 3)." All credit for it goes to the writers of that episode._

_---_

Magical Academy

Quickplay Spell

Image of a group of students in graduation gowns and moterboards.

Sacrifice one monster on your half of the field. Special summon one Spellcaster type monster from your hand, in face up attack mode. Increase the attack of the summoned monster by 500 points, and increase its star level by 1.

_This card was first used by Yugi in the anime episode "A New Evil (Part 2)." All credit for it goes to the writers of that episode._


	14. Fighting the Mountain

Disclaimer: If we owned anything other than our original cards and characters, you would have heard about it.

_Previously_

_Yugi managed to defeat Celeste in their rematch, even after she tried to use Slifer against him! Now just one match remains to be seen, as we turn back the clock a few moments. It's time to see how Ishizu fares in a match against the Elemental Duelist of Earth, with nobody around to support her…_

**Chapter 13**

**Fighting the Mountain**

It had been quite some time since she had left Kaiba's office, but Ishizu was still standing patiently next to Mr. Gold on the pillar of rock and soil that he had used as a makeshift elevator.

"So, Mr. Gold, why is it that you and your companions are doing this?" Ishizu asked.

"World peace." Gold stated.

"Really?" Ishizu queried, "And how exactly does attacking innocent people help attain world peace?"

"Look, it ain't like we've seriously injured anybody." Gold pointed out.

"What about Odion!" Ishizu exclaimed, a little louder than she had intended.

"Yeah…I'm sorry about that okay? I needed you to agree to a duel and nothin' else was working." Gold apologized.

Ishizu calmed down, and cast her gaze toward the ground.

"You seem to be a good man Mr. Gold, why would you commit vile acts such as this?" Ishizu asked.

"I already told you, world peace." Gold grumbled, "These days the world is full of greed and corruption, but no one does anything about it. When Needlez told us his plan, it seemed a little...farfetched to me. But I could see that he was right, the only way to bring peace into this world...is to use force to do it."

"But why attack us?" Ishizu asked.

"We need the talent of strong duelists to complete our plans." Gold sighed, "Needlez sent us after you guys because he thought you'd try and stop him..."

"So he wanted Yugi, and all other strong duelists out of the way." Ishizu concluded.

"Right." Gold confirmed.

The pillar finally reached the ground, both Gold and Ishizu now stood out on the front lawn of Kaiba Corp.

"Now then, let's do this!" Gold shouted as his disk activated, "Once I beat you, this world will be on the path to salvation!"

"You obviously fail to realize that this path you follow is wrong." Ishizu said calmly as she turned on her own disk, "So I shall show you."

Mr. Gold was grinning from ear-to-ear as he and Ishizu drew their opening hands.

"I think I'll be a gentleman and let you go first." He said.

Ishizu LP: 8000

Gold LP: 8000

Ishizu was a touch uneasy, Gold's last assault on her still fresh in her mind, as she drew a sixth card.

"I believe I'll open with Graceful Charity." Ishizu stated as she placed a card into her disk.

Her deck glowed, and the Egyptian duelist swiftly drew three cards and placed two into her graveyard.

Gold snickered a little.

"It hasn't even been one turn and you're already putting cards in your grave. Don't tell me you've already given up!" Gold started laughing until Ishizu held up another card.

"I'm not done with my turn yet." She said, "I will continue by summoning Mudora (1900/1800) in attack mode and end my turn."

A man wearing a golden mask and carrying a large sword jumped onto the field. Gold frowned as he noticed the monster's attack score.

"Hey!" The earth duelist yelled, "I thought Mudora only had 1500 attack!"

"Normally, yes." Ishizu explained, "But the two cards I sent to the graveyard with Graceful Charity were both Fairy type monsters. Mudora gains 200 attack for every Fairy in my grave, and since I have two, he gained 400 attack!"

"Pretty clever there…" Gold mused as he drew.

Looking over his hand, Gold frowned.

"_Absolutely nothing I can use!"_ He thought, _"I don't even have somethin' to bluff with!"_

"Is something wrong?" Ishizu asked.

Gold nervously cleared his throat.

"Tell you what Miss Ishtar. I'll let you have one free shot at me with your monster." Gold offered.

Ishizu looked puzzled as Gold tapped the end turn button on his disk.

"Think of this as paying me back for trying to kill you the other day." Gold explained.

Ishizu drew, and looked over her cards.

"Very well then, Mr. Gold." Ishizu shouted, "Mudora, attack him directly!"

The masked fairy lunged forward, swinging his weapon across Gold's chest. Gold grunted with surprise, but didn't so much as flinch.

Ishizu: 8000

Gold: 6100

"That's my turn." Ishizu declared.

"Then I draw!" Gold stated as he pulled a card off his disk, "And would you look at that, I drew Reload!"

Gold slid the card he just drew into his disk, then slid his deck out of its slot.

"What are you doing?" Ishizu queried.

"Reload lets me shuffle my entire hand into my deck, then draw a new hand equal to the number of cards I just put in." Gold explained.

He quickly placed his cards on top of the deck, then carefully shuffled it. He pulled six new cards off the top, and returned his deck to its proper place.

"Now this is more like it! I activate The Elemental Seal of Earth!" Gold shouted.

The ground between the two duelists began to glow with the light of a series of jagged, brown lines. The same pattern appeared on Gold's arms and face. At the same time, walls of stone and mud rose up around the two duelists, obscuring their view of all but the top few floors of the building they were near.

"Now then," Gold said, "I play one monster in defense mode and one card face down. Your move."

Two cards appeared in front of Gold, perpendicular to one another.

As Ishizu drew her card, however, Gold's face down card turned over.

"And now I'll activate Drop Off!" He shouted, "So send that card you just drew to the graveyard!"

Ishizu frowned as she slid her card into the grave.

"That was a foolish mistake Gold!" She said, "The card I drew was Zolga, and it was a fairy type! So that means Mudora gains more attack points."

Mudora's (2100/1800) sword glowed as the energy from the fallen monster flowed through it.

"Now Mudora, attack his face down monster with defender's slash!" Ishizu ordered.

The masked warrior lunged forward, swinging his sword once more, this time through the face down monster. The monster that was attacked however, revealed itself to be a pink worm with a series of small spikes jutting out of its body.

"Ooh, bad move!" Gold taunted, "You just flipped over my Needle Worm, which means that the top five cards of your deck get sent to the graveyard!"

The worm fired a string of silk right at Ishizu's deck, pulling five cards off of it and flinging them into the grave slot.

Ishizu looked at Gold, puzzled.

"Any reason you felt the need to make my monster even stronger?" She asked as three more spirits flew into Mudora's (2700/1800) sword, "Or did you simply forget that I have more fairies in my deck?"

"Let me worry about that." Gold assured her.

"'_Cause you'll never guess what I'm really up to until it's too late!"_ He thought.

Ishizu sighed.

"I'll lay two cards face down and end my turn." She stated as she placed the cards into her disk.

Two cards flashed into existence behind Mudora.

Gold smiled as he drew his next card.

"Well look here! I just drew the card that almost won it for me in our first match!" Gold grinned, "Let's take it out for another spin, shall we?"

Gold slid the card into his disk, and the sky above them lit up with a flash of red light!

"I activate Final Countdown!" Gold shouted, "I pay 2000 life points now, and I'll win in twenty turns!"

Gold's body began to twitch and convulse as his LP decreased, and twenty fires began to float around the field.

Ishizu LP: 8000

Gold LP: 4100

20 turns left

Gold got to his feet, a wicked smile plastered to his face, his bracelet shimmering slightly.

"You aren't gonna beat me this time. I can't lose with the cards Needlez gave me! Now I set one monster in defense mode and two more cards face down. Then I end my turn." He announced, as the backs of several cards appeared in front of him.

Ishizu drew, watching as the first of the fires was extinguished.

"You're being overconfident Gold." She said. "I can defeat you!"

"I don't see how you can when the game is going to end on my turn, thanks to Pyro Clock of Destiny!" Gold yelled as his face down card turned over.

A large clock appeared over Gold's head. It's hands began to spin, and another of the fires went out!

"This simple trap sends the turn count ahead by one." Gold explained, "So now you only get eighteen turns to get out of this, and nine of them are mine!"

Ishizu winced as she placed two more cards on her disk.

"I summon Zolga (1700/1000) and then activate my Card of Sanctity!" She shouted.

A strange creature in purple robes materialized on the field, then a flash of golden light lit up the area. Both duelists swiftly drew their hands to six cards.

"And now Mudora will attack your face down card!" Ishizu announced.

Mudora lunged forward again, but this time was stopped by a shell of rocks that rose up over the facedown monster.

"Did you forget about the affects of my seal?" Gold asked, "I can negate any attack or effect that would hurt me or my monsters by discarding one monster from my hand!"

Ishizu looked over her cards.

"Very well, I end my turn." She sighed.

Gold smiled as he drew his next card.

"Excellent. Now then, I activate the Swords of Concealing Light!" He yelled.

A series of black swords shot down from the sky, Mudora and Zolga both began to shake, and suddenly they flipped face down!

"What!" Ishizu exclaimed.

"You like it?" Gold snickered, "My little spell here forces all of your monsters into face down defense position, until two of my standby phases pass, and you can't change their battle positions either. Which, come to think of it, is just perfect for my next move. I sacrifice my facedown monster, to summon Granmarg the Rock Monarch (2600/1500)!"

The facedown card shuddered, and revealed a large, green Stone Statue of the Aztecs before it vanished. In its place appeared a golden armored man with huge arms.

"Now then, whenever Granmarg is tribute summoned, I can choose any facedown card I want…and destroy it!" Gold declared, "So I choose your facedown Mudora!"

The golden creature lifted up his arms, and a series of rocks fell down on top of the face down card, shattering it!

Ishizu watched in horror as her monster was obliterated.

_"Don't panic."_ She coached herself, _"You have other ways to handle him."_

Suddenly, Gold's other face down card flipped, and a series of red fireballs surrounded Granmarg.

"Did I mention that I'm activating my trap card, Meteorain?" Gold taunted, "Since he hasn't attacked yet, it lets Granmarg do damage, even if your monster is in defense mode! At least for this turn."

Ishizu drew back, staring up at the behemoth.

"Granmarg, attack her facedown monster with stone slammer!" Gold ordered.

The giant laughed as he fired the rocks towards the face down Zolga, the shockwaves of the attack knocking Ishizu flat on her back!

"Your move." Gold snickered.

Ishizu LP: 6600

Gold LP: 4100

16 turns left

Ishizu got back to her feet and drew her next card.

_"I need to think of something fast."_ She thought.

Looking over her cards, Ishizu nodded as she held two of them up.

"I'm going to lay one card face down, and set this monster in defense mode. That will end my turn." She stated as she placed the cards onto her disk.

The two cards, perpendicular to one another, materialized in front of her.

Gold burst out laughing again as he drew.

"You think that two puny cards can help you now!" He laughed, "I summon my Gemini Elf (2100/800) in attack mode!"

Two women, one in a blue dress with blond hair and the other in a purple dress with red hair, materialized on the field. They stood back to back, and Gold smiled.

"I think that I'll have my lovely ladies here take care of your face down monster!" He shouted.

The elf in the blue dress jumped forward and drop kicked Ishizu's monster…

Which turned over, revealing a strange looking creature with one eye and a series of golden spines. The monster screeched, then shattered into fragments.

"You just attacked my Kelbek(1500/1800), Mr. Gold." Ishizu stated calmly as her monster was blown to pieces, "And any monster that attacks him is automatically returned to its owner's hand after the battle!"

The two elves screamed as a blast of energy flew from the area Kelbek once occupied, sending them straight back to Gold's hand as promised.

"That don't matter, 'cause I still have Granmarg!" Gold shouted, "And now, he can attack you directly!"

Granmarg lifted a fist up to smash Ishizu. Suddenly, her face down card turned over, and an aura of red energy surrounded Granmarg.

"You should have taken my trap card into account." Ishizu said, "It is known as Blast Held by a Tribute, and I can use it to destroy a tribute summoned monster that tries to attack me. What's more, you'll now lose 1000 LP!"

Granmarg screamed as the red energy condensed around him and blasted outward! Gold reached for a card in his hand, then stopped.

"_Wait a minute, I don't have many monsters left in my hand."_ He realized, _"This is only 1000 damage, if she summons a monster next turn, it could be way worse!"_

Gold moved his hand away from the monster he was about to discard and instead quickly raised his arms and a shield of rocks flew in front of him. The energy pushed them back however, and Gold screamed as his own defensive wall slammed into him!

Ishizu LP: 6600

Gold LP: 3100

16 turns left

As the rocks fell away, Gold's face was revealed to be contorted in a look of pure rage.

"I will _not _lose again!" He growled.

"We shall see about that." Ishizu smirked.

"Oh, you bet we will!" Gold retorted, "But until then, I lay one card face down and now it's your turn."

A new card appeared in Gold's magic and trap zone.

Ishizu drew her sixth card and glanced over her options. As she did however she looked at her deck.

_"This would be a good time to use my Exchange of Spirit card."_ She thought, _"But I haven't drawn it yet! It must have hit the bottom of my deck this time…"_

Ishizu held up another card, and placed it on her disk.

"I summon Three Headed Geedo (1200/1400) in attack mode." She declared.

The coral bodied beast with three masked faces appeared, pointing a fist toward Gold.

"And now my monster will attack you directly!" She shouted.

"And I'll use the power of my seal!" Gold responded.

Geedo lunged forward, swinging its fist, when Gold shoved a card into his graveyard. A shield of stones flew up, this one forcing Geedo away.

"I end my turn by playing these two cards face down." Ishizu sighed.

Gold drew his next card and began to laugh. His crystal began to shine with a bright, brown colored light.

"This is just too perfect!" He laughed. "I'll start by playing Pot of Greed!"

The green pot appeared, and Gold snapped two cards off his deck. The jar then shattered as he slid a card into his disk.

"Now I activate Call to the Earth Master, and discard Metal Armored Bug in my hand to bring in Earth Master-Geos (200/13000)!" Gold announced

The spell showing the image of a man praying to a giant statue appeared, followed by a large insect in steel armor. The bug glowed, and was absorbed by the spell. The ground began to tremble…

"Get ready, 'cause thanks to everything that has been discarded, Geos's defense points are out of this world!" Gold yelled.

The monster that appeared on the field appeared to be nothing less than a statue made of solid diamond! But rather than taking one knee, the monster was standing up in a battle ready position.

"You summoned him in attack mode?" Ishizu noticed.

"Yeah, so I can do this!" Gold shouted.

He swiftly plugged one more card into his disk.

"I use Shield and Sword, swapping the base attack and defense of every monster on the field!" Gold declared.

Ishizu gasped as Geos (13200/13000) was covered in sharp spikes made of diamond! At the same time, Geedo (1400/1200) seemed virtually unchanged.

"But I thought Geos had no base defense! Its new attack score should be nothing!" Ishizu protested.

"Wrong Ishizu, his original defense is represented by question marks. His base defense is what his effect gives him, in this case, 13000!" Gold explained, "Plus, the monsters in our graveyards are still helping me, because Geos's effect is still active. Even if you force him into defense mode again he'll still have 13000 defense points for this turn, and you're still through!"

"So that's why you've dumped so many of my monsters into the graveyard!" Ishizu shouted, "You knew that most of my monsters were creatures of earth!"

"That's right!" Gold exclaimed, "And the best part is: I've limited your options without having to get rid of a bunch of my own creatures to power up Geos! You're finished!"

"I don't think so." Ishizu retorted as one of her facedown cards lifted, "I play Mystic Wok and sacrifice Geedo to increase my LP by its attack points!"

A bolt of energy flew from the card, and the Geedo burst into a cloud of mist, which settled over Ishizu for a second before fading away.

Ishizu: 8000

Gold: 3100

"You stupid broad! Now Geos can attack you directly!" Gold shouted as his crystal's light increased in intensity, "Go Geos, attack with Requiem of Rocks!"

Geos raised his fist, and slammed it into the ground. A huge boulder shot into the air, and soared gracefully toward Ishizu! She didn't seem afraid however. On the contrary, she kept her eye on the boulder, and then tapped a button her disk just before it hit her.

"YOU SEE! I DID IT! I WON!" Gold roared, not noticing Ishizu's card turning over.

Ishizu LP: 2800

Gold LP: 3800

14 Turns left

Gold was laughing maniacally when he noticed something.

The seal was still glowing around the field!

"Hey what the..." He started.

Then he noticed the dust clearing from Ishizu's side of the field, and the **LP 2800** glowing on her duel disk.

"NO WAY!" Gold shouted, "HOW...WHAT...WHO?"

Ishizu calmly pointed to her now face up card, depicting a man holding up a bottle of juice.

"It's quite simple," she said, "I activated my trap card, Hyper Refresh. I can only use it if I'm about to be attacked directly, and the amount of damage I'm about to receive is greater than my current LP total. So long as those requirements are met, my LP will double before the attack hits!"

Gold was simply _seething_ with hatred now.

"You haven't won yet! I activate the spell card Weapon Change and end my turn!" He spat as he forced a card into his disk.

A new card, showing a man in armor shifting his sword and shield between his hands, appeared in front of Gold.

Ishizu calmly drew her next card. As she looked over her three cards however, a terrible rumble began to shake the ground. Looking toward the sky, Ishizu gasped as she saw it turn black with storm clouds and a huge red serpent began to descend from them!

"It can't be...Slifer!" She exclaimed, "But I thought that the great Pharaoh..."

Ishizu's voice trailed of as a pattern of yellow stars was etched across the skin of the Egyptian God.

"Looks like it ain't your boy Yugi that summoned it." Gold laughed, "I had a feeling Celeste might try this. Your hero doesn't stand a chance, and come to think of it, neither do you!"

Ishizu's body trembled as she slid one card horizontally onto her disk.

"I set this monster in defense mode and end my turn." She stated.

"Before you end your turn, I activate the trap card DNA Surgery." Gold declared, "This lets me change the type of every monster on the field, and I choose for them to be Warriors."

Geos shuddered, and a shield appeared in its diamond hands.

"By the way, you missed a great chance to clobber Geos. Shield And Sword only works for one turn!" Gold taunted, "But don't worry, I'm sure that anyone would panic if they saw something like that!"

Gold gestured up toward Slifer.

"_No!"_ Ishizu thought, _"I must hang on…"_

Gold drew and smiled as his Weapon Change card started to glow.

"Now things get interestin'. During my standby phase, I can pay 700 life points to let Weapon Change swap the current attack and defense of one Warrior or Machine type monster. And this effect lasts until your next turn ends!" Gold shouted.

Geos looked at the weapon it was holding, and the shield suddenly transformed into a giant sword!

Ishizu: 2800

Gold: 2400

12 turns left

Gold grinned from ear to ear as he saw what he had drawn.

"Well would you look at this, Card of Sanctity!" He exclaimed.

He slid the card into his disk, and a second flash of golden light filled the area as he and Ishizu drew their cards.

"Now then I play Dian Keto the Cure Master, to give my self an extra 1000 LP." Gold announced as he placed another card into his disk.

Silver light surrounded the earth duelist, who smiled as his LP increased.

Ishizu LP: 2800

Gold LP: 3400

12 Turns left

"Now then," Gold said happily, "I play two more cards face down and activate Time Warp! And in case you forgot, this card lets me move the turn count forward up to ten turns by paying 700 LP per turn. So I'll move the turn count ahead by four."

Two facedown cards materialized in front of Gold, followed by a giant clock which began to spin rapidly. He smiled, but then looked weak, and fell to the ground coughing up blood as four more flames were extinguished.

Ishizu LP: 2800

Gold LP: 600

8 Turns left

Gold back stood up, grinning maniacally as he pointed straight ahead.

"And now Geos will wipe out your face down monster!" He shouted.

Ishizu winced as her second Geedo was blasted into her graveyard by another boulder.

"That's my turn." Gold laughed.

Ishizu drew her next card, looking at what was left and then to her hand.

_"There must be something I can do." _She thought.

"I activate another Pyroclock of Destiny!" Gold shouted as one of his facedown cards turned over.

A third clock appeared, and another flame was immediately extinguished.

Ishizu glanced over her cards, struggling to come up with a plan. Suddenly, a huge roar filled the air above them!

Looking up, Ishizu and Gold both gasped as they saw a blast of light strike Slifer! The huge monster roared, and then shattered into fragments!

"I don't believe it." Gold muttered, "Something actually destroyed an Egyptian God? But they're supposed to be unbeatable!"

Ishizu's eyes sparkled as she turned her gaze on her opponent.

"No monster is unbeatable." She said, "And just as the pharaoh has defeated Slifer, so shall I defeat your earth master!"

Looking over her hand and then at the field, Ishizu smiled as she calculated a plan.

"I shall play Mystical Space Typhoon, and use it to destroy your Weapon Change card!" She shouted

Gold could do noting but let out a scream of rage as a blast of wind shot across the field, destroying the spell. Geos (200/13000) stared at his weapon again, which turned back into a shield!

"I thought so! Destroying your spell returned Geos's stats to their normal levels." Ishizu shouted triumphantly, "Now I'll set one card facedown, and I end my turn."

A single card appeared in front of Ishizu.

Gold calmed a little, and looked suspiciously at his foe.

"That's all? No monsters? No big flashy spell to beat up my monster?" He asked.

Ishizu shook her head no.

"Then this will be too easy!" Gold shouted as he drew his next card.

Suddenly, one of Ishizu's flipped over.

"Not as easy as you think!" Ishizu stated, "I activate Call of the Haunted, and return my Mudora (3100/1700) to the field!"

A purple mist emerged from the card, and the man in the golden masked stepped out of the fog. He brandished his sword, pointing it at Gold.

Gold grinned.

"That doesn't matter. I move Geos to defense mode, and lay one card face down and end my turn." Gold declared.

Geos moved to one knee, holding his shield in front of his massive body. A new card appeared behind the diamond monolith.

Ishizu drew another card and smiled.

"This is where your strategy comes to a halt Gold." She said, "I've found a way to beat you!"

"Oh yeah?" Gold snarled, "Well it isn't gonna work! And it will all be thanks to my facedown card!"

Gold's face down card turned over, revealing a Marauding Captain standing in front of a humongous shadowy figure.

"It's called Staunch Defender." Gold explained, "And now every monster on your half of the field will have to attack my Earth Master Geos! And you can't skip your battle phase either thanks to the effect of my trap, so there's no way for you to survive!"

His other card turned over.

"I also activate my third and final Pyro Clock of Destiny!" He shouted, "Just in case you have some sneaky way to avoid the damage."

Another clock appeared, and another flame burned out.

"No problem, I was going to attack Geos anyway." Ishizu said as she slid a card into her disk, "But first, I activate Stop Defense, and I use it to force Geos into attack mode!"

Geos slowly got to his feet, and looked down at Mudora.

"NO!" Gold screamed.

"Yes!" Ishizu said, "Geos is defenseless, and because of the effect of Mudora, I have more than enough to finish you here and now! So go Mudora, strike down his monster with ultimate grave defender slash!"

Gold let out a final scream of rage as Mudora slammed his sword against Geos. The giant groaned, then shattered into a flurry of crystal shards! The shards flew at Gold, knocking him to the ground before he could raise a shield!

Ishizu LP: 2800

Gold LP: 0

2 turns left

Ishizu winced as Gold fell flat on his back.

The wall of stone around the two fell away, and the brown circle began to shrink, passing harmlessly over Ishizu and surrounding Gold. Ishizu gasped in horror as Geos appeared behind the Elemental Duelist of Earth, and raised both his arms to the sky. A small point of brown light floated from Gold's body, and shimmered for a minute before planting itself inside the crystal on his bracelet!

Geos and the seal faded, and Gold got to his feet, taking deep, ragged breaths as he glared at Ishizu.

The Egyptian duelist took a step back, as Gold let out a furious roar…

And slammed his fist into the ground! A circle of ground, about the same radius as the seal had been before vanishing, immediately cracked and indented about three feet straight down!

Gold took another deep breath, and looked up at his opponent.

"I'm sorry…for attacking you before." He said simply.

"Mr. Gold…" Ishizu began.

But she was cut off as water seeped out of the cracks in front of Gold, and formed into Mako!

The water duelist was holding his head, and glaring at his teammate.

"You know, I already had a headache from my duel with Mai. That mini quake of yours didn't help any!" Mako shouted.

"What do you want?" Gold sighed.

"We have to go. Now." Mako explained.

"Right then." Gold agreed.

Before Ishizu could say a word, Mako turned back into water and disappeared into the cracks. A cocoon of dirt folded up over Gold, and then slid into the ground.

Ishizu was left, staring at the miniature crater. She finally sighed and turned back toward the building, and looked up to where Kaiba's office was.

"I pray that the elevator still works." She muttered as she walked inside.

-----------------------------------

Needlez was muttering to himself as the image of the earth crystal was extinguished.

"Well, that didn't go quite as expected." He grumbled.

Suddenly, five pillars jumped up in the chamber! Out of the pillars stepped Tim, Celeste, Zeffie, Gold, and Mako (who was now wearing a hat made from ice).

"What happened to you?" Tim asked Mako.

"Don't ask…" The water duelist grumbled.

"Hi Lordy Needlez!" Zeffie exclaimed, "Did ya miss us?"

Needlez cracked a smile.

"Of course I did lass!" He said, "But right now, we have matters to attend to."

"Can it wait until my head stops throbbing?" Mako asked, "Getting hit by Slifer's tail can take a lot out of a guy!"

"But _controlling _Slifer is a major rush!" Celeste exclaimed happily.

"Yeh liked that, didn't ye Celeste?" Needlez asked.

"Of course! It's always fun to try a new monster!" She shouted.

"Of course it is." Needlez agreed, "Unfortunately, it would appear that you three lost yer talent…"

"So besides me and Celeste, the drip got dropped too?" Gold joked.

Mako shot an angry look at Gold as Zeffie giggled, and Needlez ignored them as he continued.

"…What's worse, those who would stop our plans still have theirs!"

"Don't worry, Zeffie is ready to duel!" Zeffie cheered as saluted Needlez.

"Aye, but it seems that one of our number isn't." Needlez pointed out.

The others looked around, and Celeste was first to notice.

"Hey, where's Brian? Didn't he get the message to return?" Celeste asked.

"No." Needlez stated.

Tim stepped forward, completely solemn, and held the two halves of the dark crystal out to Needlez.

"He has betrayed us…" Needlez stated.

The others (except for Tim) gasped.

"And we have some loose ends to tie up." Needlez finished.

_Uh-Oh, looks like trouble is brewing! Next chapter, prepare to tie up a few more loose ends as Brian reveals just where the Elemental Duelists came from, and how they came to work for Needlez! We call it_

_411_

_See ya then!_

---

Original Cards

---

Hyper Refresh

Trap

Image of a man holding up a bottle of juice

You can only activate this trap if you have no monsters on the field, and the total attack points of all monsters on your opponent's side of the field is greater than your life points. Double your current life point total

_This card was first used in the anime by Joey in the episode "Down in Flames (Part 2)." All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a bit shorter than the others, the next one will be a lot longer. Promise!


	15. 411

A/N: Sorry this is late. Our computer decided to erase the only copy we had of this chapter. Thankfully, we were able to reproduce it.

Disclaimer: We don't own the rights to Yu-gi-oh, or any of the cards except our fan cards and characters (unless otherwise noted).

_Previously,_

_Gold and Ishizu faced off in their high-stakes rematch, with Ishizu emerging as the victor. But after the duel, Gold escaped, leaving Ishizu to return to the others. In the meantime, Brian and Joey have been working their way upstairs, and they'll be reuniting with the others shortly…_

**Chapter 14**

**411**

Joey and Brian emerged from the stairwell, both of them panting as they ran down the hall. It had taken quite some time (roughly 15 minutes) to finish climbing the stairs up to the top floor after they saw Slifer appear, but now all that was between them and Seto's office was a hallway full of fallen paintings. The two of them tore down the hall, gasping for breath every step of the way.

Joey was the first to reach the door. He threw it open, and gasped…

Kaiba looked up from his desk, where he had apparently been conversing with the speaker box. Joey doubled over, and started panting from exhaustion.

"Never mind Roland, Wheeler just joined us." Kaiba confirmed, "But let me know if Mokuba's condition changes at all."

Yugi and Tea were standing next to the desk, obviously fully absorbed in what Kaiba had been doing. Their attention was now on Joey, and both looked relieved. Mai and Ishizu stood in the corner near the door (and far away from the water cooler and broken window), while Tristan was getting a drink from the cooler. He put his cup down, just as a hiss of static burst over the speaker box.

"Seto, I'm fine!" Mokuba's voice crackled over the box, "A little dehydrated, sure, but…"

"No buts!" Kaiba argued, "You're going to rest until we're sure you're okay."

And with that, he turned off the intercom. Tristan crossed the room, and slapped Joey on the back.

"Hey there Joey, what kept ya?" Tristan asked.

"Had to…take…the stairs." Joey wheezed out as he straightened up.

"Why didn't you take the elevator?" Ishizu questioned.

"It…still…works?" Joey gasped, turning toward her.

Ishizu nodded her head, and Tristan burst into laughter.

"Don't tell me you didn't even think to try it!" He chortled, doubling over in laughter.

Joey shot an angry glare at Tristan, then stepped aside. Brian entered the room, his face flushed from the stairs, but he had obviously taken a moment to catch his breath. The others all stared at him.

"Joey, what is he doing here?" Tea asked as she stepped back.

"You don't have to worry, he's on our side." Joey reassured everyone.

"Yeah." Brian confirmed holding up his hands, "I'm on your…"

He was cut off as Mai jumped forward and slugged him right in the face! Brain stumbled backward, clutching his right eye, while Mai held up her fists defensively.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" Brian shouted.

"That was for your buddy Mako." Mai explained, "And you can let him know that the next time I see him, he's getting at least ten times that."

"Mai," Joey said placing a hand on the blond's shoulder, "He's on _our _side now."

Mai lowered her hands, and turned toward Joey. She then noticed how close they were to each other. She quickly stepped away from him, blushing slightly. Brian sighed, and moved his hand away from his face.

"It's alright Joey, I deserved that after all the trouble I've given you." Brian admitted.

"I'd say you deserve more than that." Tea growled as she and Tristan stepped forward.

"Look, I didn't come up here to fight with you guys!" Brian shouted as he took a step back, "I came because I wanted to help you stop Needlez!"

Tea and Tristan both stopped, and Joey took advantage of the moment and stepped in front of them.

"Look, the only reason Brian was all crazy in the first place was because of that weird crystal he had." Joey explained, "We got rid of that, so there's nothing to worry about anymore."

The others all stared at Brian, who just cast his gaze to the ground.

"I honestly don't expect to be forgiven for attacking you guys." He stated, "But I hoped that if I came to help you that it would help prove I'm not a bad guy."

Joey looked at Brian, and back toward the others. Yugi stepped forward, and extended his hand to Brian. The dark duelist looked at Yugi's hand, then at the boy.

"If Joey trusts you, then so will I." Yugi declared with a smile.

Brian looked toward the others, some of whom (Kaiba especially) seemed suspicious. Tristan and Tea looked the least so.

"If Yugi trusts ya, then Tea and I pretty much have to." Tristan sighed.

Then he raised a fist.

"But try anything funny, and Mai's punch will feel like a tap on the shoulder compared to what I do to you." He growled.

Tea forced Tristan's fist down. Brian just laughed though, and shook Yugi's hand.

"Nothing to worry about then." Brian stated, "I'll do whatever I can to help."

"Then tell us everything you know about your team." Seto demanded.

Brian broke off the hand shake, and stepped over to the water cooler. He quickly filled a cup, and took a drink.

"That's a pretty long story." Brian stated, "But I'll give you the condensed version. You see, I was just your average duelist, except maybe a bit better. My brother and I had become infamous at our local card shop because we never lost, and the owner of the shop was seriously considering banning us. He thought it was bad for business."

"That doesn't sound too fair." Mai commented.

"That's more or less what we thought." Brian continued with a shrug, "But the two or us forgot all about that problem when we discovered that a big tournament was being held in our town. It was called the 'Grand Elemental Tournament', and we were excited for our first chance to compete in a major tourney. We went, and participated. In the end, only the top six duelists were left, one for each element of the game: Tim, Celeste, Mako, Zeffie, Mr. Gold, and myself. It was then we met Needlez."

Brian paused, and took another gulp of water before continuing.

"He told us that the tournament had been his method of searching for six duelists who would help him make the world into a paradise. He told us about how, seven-thousand years ago, he had been a powerful sorcerer on the verge of creating a utopian world. But his fellow mystics, who were at the top of the social ladder, tried to stop him. The mystics were unwilling to surrender their positions of power, and so they drained Needlez of his magic. But, after enough time had passed, he managed to restore his powers enough to reincarnate himself. He returned to the place where his body had been entombed, and retrieved it, along with the magical seals that were holding the rest of his power."

"Needlez lied to you." Yugi interrupted, "A friend of mine found those ruins, and the records show that Needlez had been attempting to conquer the world. The other mystics had to stop him to save it."

Brian nodded a bit, and put the cup of water down on Seto's desk.

"That makes sense. I had a feeling Needlez hadn't told us the whole story." Brian grinned, "But anyway, Needlez gave us some special prizes for winning: namely, the crystals, the seal cards, and our ritual monsters."

"They're involved in this too?" Seto butted in, "How?"

"According to Needlez, they were the strongest creatures that the other mystics unleashed against him." Brian responded, "He also told us that the crystals would give us elemental powers. We didn't believe him of course, until Tim almost set some of our cards on fire. After that, he started helping us improve our decks and strategies. He told us that the only way he could help the world would be if the seals that held his own powers were offered new power to hold. According to Needlez, dueling talent was pretty much the same as magic power."

"So that's why you needed to collect it." Ishizu guessed, "The talent would be what replaced and released his own power."

"Exactly." Brian confirmed, "But that never sat well with me. Neither did the fact that, while we were training, I'd notice a sharp change in the others' behavior. Sometimes Gold would get really mad for no good reason, or Mako would start to stammer. I felt that something was wrong, but…"

Brian looked at the ground again.

"…I just couldn't leave. I felt compelled to stay."

"Needlez must have used the crystal to warp your mind." Mai said sympathetically.

"More than you may think Mai." Yugi agreed, "Those crystals are a specialized form of Orichalcum, and we've all seen what that does to people."

Everybody shuddered a bit, and Mai quickly fought back a surge of mental images. Brian cleared his throat, and continued.

"We continued with our normal lives apart from the training, until Needlez called us in for his master plan. He wanted us to duel the six of you, and collect your talents." Brian revealed.

"But why?" Tea asked, "Why did it have to be them."

"Because the five of us, plus Marik, are some of the best duelists in the world." Kaiba declared, "And I'd bet my three Blue Eyes White Dragons that Needlez wanted us out of the way."

"You got it." Brian confirmed, "But now, you guys have an edge over him. Needlez would never expect an assault on his home turf, and I know right where it is."

Brian looked to the others. Tristan was still eyeing him suspiciously.

"I don't know, this could be a trap…" He grumbled.

"Get over it!" Mai snapped, "Even if it was, why would he reveal so much? Besides, he knows what would happen if this is a trap, and he doesn't have any way to get away from us."

Kaiba nodded, and smiled as he typed in some commands on a key board.

"Mai makes a good point." He said, "So where do we go?"

He turned the screen around, showing a map.

Brian smiled and reached out to tap a specific point.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the meantime, back in the cave, the remaining five Elemental Duelists sat around in the main throne chamber. Celeste, Mako, and Gold had just given their talent to the body in the seal chamber, with dramatic results.

Gold had given it "the foundation of life." The body had reconstructed itself, until it was no longer a mummy. It now resembled a twenty-something body builder (or Gold himself) with handsome features on his face and extremely pale skin. While it had been weird seeing it re-grow, it did make the other two effects much more bearable to watch.

Mako had surrendered "the pulse of life." Once the blue light had stopped glowing, the sound of a dull heart beat could be heard throughout the seal chamber. The crystal pillar now pulsed in time with the heartbeat, filling the room with an eerie, blue-green glow.

The worst of it had been after Celeste went up. Once infused with "the spark of life" the body had developed a deep tan all over. This wouldn't have been so bad, except the eyes also snapped open!

Now, the quintet was sitting in the throne room. Gold was crossed legged on the floor, with Zeffie on his shoulder. Mako leaned against the wall, occasionally rubbing at his anklet. Tim was shuffling through his deck, and was Celeste nervously rubbing her ring.

"How long did Lordy Needlez say he was going to take?" Zeffie asked for the umpteenth time.

"It shouldn't be much longer Zefs." Gold said as he patted her hand, "He said it would be about thirty minutes, and it's been roughly…"

Gold trailed off. He looked over to Celeste, who glanced at her watch.

"Twenty." Celeste answered as she tapped her watch, "Unless my watch is running fast."

Zeffie sighed in a frustrated manner. She slowly slid down from Gold's shoulder, and walked over to Tim. Standing over him, she looked over his shoulder as he continued to look through his cards.

"So how did your duel with Moky go?" Zeffie asked.

"I won." Tim stated simply, "And Mokuba should be fine."

"You told me you redirected over three thousand points of damage toward him." Mako said as he turned to Tim, "How does that not hurt?"

"Maybe the seal picked up that I didn't really want to hurt him." Tim shrugged, "I mean, the seals always started off pretty heavy, but they seemed to really dish out the pain once we decided we want our opponents to feel it."

"Aye laddy, ye hit the nail on the head." Needlez declared as he entered the room with a dramatic flourish.

The five duelists quickly snapped to attention. Needlez stood in front of his throne and smiled down at his minions.

"Now then, as ye know, Brian has decided to side with Yugi and the others." Needlez said as he pulled out his pocket watch, "Since he turned his heart and mindset against us, Joey was able to save him from the seal by removing his crystal."

"So that's how he got this off." Celeste muttered as she looked at her own ring, "I was wondering how he could when we still can't."

"Now Celeste, I explained that the crystals bonded with yer innate spiritual powers." Needlez sighed, "That's why they're so tough to remove. Don't worry though, once we've met our goal, I'll teach the rest of ye how to take them off. Until then, I need Tim and Zeffie to step forward."

The duelists of wind and fire both walked up to Needlez, who reached into his jacket pocket. From it, he produced two thin silver chains, each one attached to a piece of the dark crystal.

"These are fer yew two." He explained as he put one of the accessories one each of the duelists, "Yew two are now the Elemental Duelists of Darkness fer our team!"

"Cool!" Zeffie cheered as she fingered the new gem.

Tim was silent as he looked at the crystal. Suddenly, a light began to shine from his deck! Zeffie noticed it, and pulled out own her cards. One of the cards in Zeffie's deck was glowing as well. Each of them removed their glowing card, and both of them gasped.

"I believe yeh'll find these a wee bit more useful." Needlez said,"Now then, here's yer next mission…"

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Thrity minutes later, a helicopter descended to the ground near the outskirts of Domino City. From the chopper, emerged Seto Kaiba, followed by Joey, Yugi, and finally Brian. The copter had landed in front of a small train station, with the Kaiba Corp. logo plastered to the top of it. The four of them walked in the building, Kaiba leading the way.

The inside looked like a typical train station. Arrows on the walls pointed to different trains, and an electronic schedule displayed what trains were going where. There was even a food court, where a few employees were chatting idly over their meals. The quartet ignored all of this however, as Kaiba led them down the hall.

"So, how is it you own your own train system?" Joey asked as he followed Kaiba.

"It's a left over from my stepfather's day." Kaiba explained as they rounded a corner, "He had a system of railroads created that passed through the mountains so that he could deliver the weapons he developed without having to charter a transport train, or put up with the government's strict safety laws about transporting dangerous materials."

"That sort of thing would be considered a major tax dodge in the U.S." Brian commented as they continued down a flight of stairs.

"I'm well aware that this system would be illegal." Kaiba responded, "That's why when I took over Kaiba Corp., one of the first things I did was make sure that the government was aware of this system. I actually talked them into letting Kaiba Corp maintain control of it. All the right taxes are paid, and the safety standards are followed to the letter. I now use these trains for shipping the games my company develops, and for transporting employees who live far outside the city, or need to travel for business to one of my subsidiary companies."

As Kaiba was talking, the quartet reached the bottom of the stairs. Their, they passed through a gate, and found themselves standing in front of train that looked very much like…

"Blue Eyes White Dragon." Joey muttered, "Why am I not surprised?"

The train was covered in a coat of silvery white paint, giving it a shimmering glisten. The front engine had been painted to look like the famous dragon's head, complete with blue eyes painted on either side. The doors slid open, and the four of them walked into a well furnished private car. There were padded seats, a table, plush white carpeting with matching walls, and even a metal cart that looked as though it held drinks.

"Wait here." Kaiba ordered as he exited the car, heading to the front engine.

Brian, Joey, and Yugi all sat down in the padded seats around the table. Brian took out his deck and began to leaf through it, looking over each card carefully.

"You're sure that the cave Needlez is using is in the mountains?" Yugi asked him.

"Positive." Brian declared as he continued to look through his cards, "I may have always used my shadow powers to transport there, but I had to know the location first."

"Are you sure it was a good idea to leave Mai and Ishizu behind?" Joey asked Yugi.

"We all agreed, it should be a bare bones team that goes in for this." Yugi sighed as he nervously drummed his fingers on the table, "Needlez would be coming after us since we're the best ones left. If the others came, he might try to take them as hostages or something. I'd rather not take that risk."

"How do we know he won't try that anyway?" Joey asked as the train began to move.

"I doubt he'd go through that much trouble to get at you." Brian assured them as he pulled three cards from his deck.

Laying them on the table, Yugi and Joey saw that they were the Elemental Seal of Darkness, Contract with the Dark Master, and Dark Master Zorc. Brian pulled a smaller stack of cards from his pocket, and quickly selected three which he shuffled into his deck. Outside the window, the train station pulled away, and the city began to pass by.

"You're taking these cards out?" Joey asked as he looked at the three cards.

"Putting them in my side-deck." Brian corrected as he added them to his pocket, "I plan on showing Needlez just how big a mistake it was for him to mess with me…"

"We'll be arriving at our drop point within the hour." Kaiba stated as he re-entered the car, "Calls have already been sent so that we'll have a clear track out there and back. Lucky for us, this route is only used in case the other tracks are shut down for some reason."

"Then let's sit back, and enjoy the ride." Joey said, "There anything good in that drink cart?"

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Back in the cave, Mako was humming happily as he sprayed water over the wall. He was happily watching as small piles of dust and debris pooled at his feet. Gold, in the meantime, was grumbling as he pressed his hand against each wall, using his powers to make it smooth and even all over.

"What's the point to cleaning a cave?" Gold griped, "Last I checked, their supposed to be covered in dirt and rocks."

"Needlez said that everything had to look nice for when he dueled the pharaoh." Mako said as he continued to spray the walls down, "I guess he has a flair for the dramatic."

"Well he certainly not worried." Celeste said as she entered the room carrying a magnifying glass, "I just passed his chambers, and he's fast asleep. He must be a hell of a duelist if he's not worried about Yugi."

Celeste held up the magnifying glass, and raised one hand over it. From her hand issued a beam of light, that the lens focused. The focused light quickly began to obliterate the small piles of debris that Mako had cleaned from the walls. Gold started rubbing his chin.

"Hey, have either of you ever seen Needlez so much as pick up a card?" He asked.

"Come to think of it, no." Mako answered as he stopped spraying the wall.

"He must know how to duel though, he trained us for almost a year." Celeste pointed out as she looked up from her work.

Gold suddenly let out a yelp of pain, and began to hop around the room clutching his foot! A small wisp of smoke rose from a hole in the top of his shoe. Looking down, Celeste saw that her light beam was focused right where Gold's foot had been a moment ago. Mako saw this too, and burst into laughter.

"Oops, sorry." Celeste apologized as she turned of the light.

"That's the funniest thing I've ever seen!" Mako gasped as he continued to laugh.

Gold put his foot down, and raised one hand. Turning in Mako's direction, a large rock tore out of the ground and hovered over him.

"See how funny you think this is!" Gold shouted as the rock flew at Mako.

Mako stopped laughing and dove to the right, away from the wall. The rock slammed harmlessly into the ground, and Mako launched a blast of water at Gold. Gold dove aside however, and Celeste screamed as the water hit her instead!

"Why you…" She sputtered as she raised her own hands.

A blast of energy flew from her fingertips, and Mako once more dove aside. The energy struck the still-wet wall instead, and tiny bolts of electricity crackled over its surface! The three stopped and stared at this phenomenon.

"Electircity?" Mako gasped, looking at Celeste.

"Well, a lot of thunder type monsters are light." Celeste shrugged, "I guess the two are naturally linked."

The other two nodded in agreement, then a scowl crossed Gold's face.

"Wait a sec', I'm angry at Mako!" He realized.

The fighting resumed. All three of the Elemental Duelists were throwing their powers at each other, and cries of pain and surprise filled the room. As all this commotion continued, Needlez entered, apparently oblivious to the chaos.

"Ah, what a lovely nap." He sighed as he strolled forward, "I feel so calm, so happy…"

At that point, a convergence of light, water, and rocks slammed into the ground in front of Needlez. A small explosion was the result, covering Needlez in bits of rock and dirt. The fighting trio stopped, and looked at Needlez.

"Alright, now I'm pissed of again!" Needlez roared as blue-green energy surrounded his body and vaporized the offending sediments on his clothes.

The other three drew back in fear.

"Oh, look at the time." Mako commented as he began to sink into a puddle, "I've got to go…place…"

Mako vanished without completing the statement.

"Um….Me too!" Gold declared as he vanished into the ground.

"Same here!" Celeste exclaimed as she vanished in a pulse of light.

"GIT BACK HERE!" Needlez ordered, his body flaring with energy.

Immediately, the three were found themselves landing back on the floor they had just left.

"I did not know he could do that." Gold gasped as he got to his feet.

Celeste coughed, and tapped her watch. Needlez checked his own time piece and nodded. Celeste vanished in a flash of light, while Needlez turned his gaze on the cowering Mako and Gold.

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The train was speeding through the mountains, looking like a silver serpent winding its way through a rocky maze. The city lay about a half hour behind it, and in Kaiba's private car, tensions were running high…

Mainly because Joey discovered that Kaiba had failed to stock the drink cart with his favorite soda.

Joey and Kaiba were in a staring contest of sorts, glaring at each other from across the car. Brian and Yugi were observing this, neither one saying a word. Joey began to open his mouth…

"Say one more word to me about soda preferences, and I promise you'll regret it." Kaiba growled.

"Twenty minutes." Brian said glancing at his watch, "Wow…"

"I'm not sure whether it's worse when they refuse to talk to each other, or when they won't stop arguing." Yugi said with a sigh.

Everyone fell silent again, as Kaiba and Joey began to try ignoring one another. Brian and Yugi both sighed. Then the train began to shake and tremble.

"What the…" Joey muttered.

Suddenly, over the intercom came a new voice.

"Mr. Kaiba, we have a problem!" The voice shouted, "Strong winds have picked up around the train, it looks like a tornado!"

"But there can't be a tornado in the mountains!" Kaiba protested as he got to his feet, "Tornados need flat land to develop!"

"Unless…" Brian muttered as a horrid look of realization came to him, "Oh-no!"

Suddenly, a section of the roof began to glow red-hot. A large chunk of ceiling was blown away, leaving a large hole! Brian screamed as a strong wind blew down through the gap, and lifted him into the air! As he was yanked out through the hole, Yugi grabbed his foot. Joey and Kaiba lunged forward, and grabbed hold of Yugi just as he was halfway through the hole!

"Naughty Kaiba and Joey, you shouldn't keep your friends all to yourselves." A voice called down the hole.

A sudden blast of air knocked the two to the floor, and Yugi screamed as he was sucked through the hole!

"Yugi!" Joey shouted as a plate of metal slammed over the tear, and the edges began to glow red hot.

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On top of the train, Yugi was shocked to find he was hovering over the roof of the car. In front of him was Zeffie, who was giggling as she settled Brian down on the roof. Looking over his shoulder, Yugi spotted Tim welding the fissure in the roof shut, using blasts of flame from his hands.

"Zeffie told you to watch out Mr. Yugi!" The blond girl giggled as she snapped her fingers, "You really should have listened."

Yugi fell to the roof, landing next to Brian. The wind from the moving train was passing harmlessly over the four figures on top, obviously being manipulated by Zeffie. It was like standing under an invisible dome as dust and leaves flew past, bust not even the slightest gust ruffled their clothes.

"What do you two want?" Yugi asked.

"We want Brian of course!" Zeffie cheered as she placed her deck into her duel disk, "And Zeffie wants you!"

"What do you want me for?" Brian asked as he got to his feet.

"Needlez told us to take your talent." Zeffie explained with a grin, "He said it was to make sure you wouldn't be able to do anymore damage. And he even gave Timmy and Zeffie some new toys to help."

Zeffie happily twirled her new necklace around her finger to emphasize the last point.

"The pieces of the dark crystal." Brian grumbled, "Fine, I'll duel you, but leave Yugi out of this!"

"Sorry, but Zeffie missed her chance to duel him before, so now he'll play two-on-two tag team against us!" Zeffie declared pointing at Tim, "Zeffie and Timmy against you and Yugi. And Yugi isn't allowed to have the pharaoh help him."

Yugi gasped as Zeffie waved her arm, and the Millennium Puzzle was lifted from his neck! The puzzle hovered in mid-air, then settled around Brian's neck.

"What are you doing?" Tim asked as he stepped away from his welding.

"The pharaoh can't help Yugi if Brian has the puzzle." Zeffie giggled, "So that way, Needlez won't be mad when Zeffie wins. The pharaoh will be safe for Lordy Needlez's plans."

"Tim, Zeffie, you have to listen to me!" Brian shouted as he stared pleadingly at both of his former allies, "Needlez is lying to you. He wants to control our world, not save it! You have to break free from him, like I did!"

"Sorry bro." Tim sighed as he and Yugi activated their disks, "I don't like it, but…"

Tim looked at his feet.

"I don't have a choice." He finished.

"_That's what Celeste sai…wait a minute, bro!"_ Yugi thought as he placed his deck in its slot.

"Brian, is Tim…" Yugi asked, turning to the dark duelist.

"My brother?" Brian finished grimly, "Yes. Why else would we have the same last name?"

"I can't believe you'd obey a guy who'd tell you to attack your own brother!" Yugi shouted at Tim.

"Let's just get this over with…" Tim muttered as he drew five cards.

"And since Zeffie is youngest, she goes first!" Zeffie declared.

Zeffie LP: 8000

Brian LP: 8000

Tim LP: 8000

Yugi LP: 8000

Zeffie laughed as she looked over her hand.

"This is the best!" She smiled as she placed a card on her disk, "Zeffie opens with Whirlwind Prodigy (1500/1600) in attack mode!"

A young boy in brown clothes jumped onto the field, his hair blown by a strong breeze.

"And now, Zeffie lays two cards facedown. Next?" Zeffie challenged as she slid two more card into her disk.

The two cards materialized behind the boy, who glanced over his shoulder at them. Brian drew and nodded.

"I'll summon Pitch Black Warwolf (1600/600) in attack mode, and lay one card facedown! Then I'm done." He announced, sliding the two cards into his disk.

The black-furred wolf man jumped into play, and a brown card appeared behind it.

Tim drew and took three cards out of his hand.

"I'll set two cards facedown, and summon Great Angus (1800/600) in attack mode. That's all." Tim stated, looking very solemn as he put the cards on his disk.

In front of Tim appeared the large red boar, which looked as though it was in a calmer mood. Behind the boar appeared two brown cards. Yugi drew and placed two cards into his disk.

"I'll start with Skilled Dark Magician (1900/1700) in attack mode, and play my Pot of Greed!" He announced.

A magician in bulky purple robes, carrying an iron rod appeared on the field. At the same time Yugi drew two cards and a light began to glow on the magician's shoulder. Yugi pointed toward Zeffie's monster.

"I know your prodigy can be used as two monsters to summon a wind monster, so I'll have my monster attack it!" Yugi declared.

The magician spun its staff, and the fired a blast of dark energy straight at the little boy!

"Not so fast!" Zeffie said, tapping a button on her disk, "I activate my facedown card..."

Before the card could turn over however, Brian's wolf snarled and jumped on top of the card, pinning it in place! Brian smirked.

"Nice try Zeffie, but my Warwolf prevents you and Tim from activating trap cards during the battle phase!" He shouted as raised his own disk for emphasis.

Zeffie gasped as her monster was struck by the spell! The boy screamed, and shattered into pieces!

Zeffie LP: 7600

Brian LP: 8000

Tim LP: 8000

Yugi LP: 8000

Yugi smiled at his partner.

"Nice work!" He congratulated Brian as he put a card in his disk, "Now I'll lay a card facedown and end my turn!"

The card materialized behind the magician. Zeffie drew, grumbling a little bit.

"Time to get serious!" She said.

Zeffie held up her card, showing a picture of a green circle with strange black symbols on it. Brian gasped in horror.

"Hey, that looks like one of the elemental seals!" He exclaimed.

"It is!" Zeffie cheered, "This is a new one that was made from Zeffie's seal fusing with yours! Zeffie activates: ELEMENTAL SEAL OF WIND AND DARKNESS!"

Tim pulled a card out of his deck, placing it into the field zone of his disk.

"And when she plays her seal, I can play my Elemental Seal of Fire and Darkness." He said, though he didn't sound as excited as Zeffie.

Immediately, a red and green circle appeared on the top of the train. At the same time a wall of wind, fire, and shadows surrounded the four deulists! Yugi looked around, barely registering as his monster gained two more lights, one on the other shoulder and one on its chest.

Zeffie smiled as green clouds appeared on her body.

"Now the fun really starts. Thanks to the power Lordy Needlez gave us, we can change our seals between their original form and the Seal of Darkness!"

"NO!" Brian shouted.

"Yes!" Zeffie continued as she waved her hand over her disk, "And Zeffie chooses to change her seal to darkness!"

The half of the circle surrounding Brian and Zeffie immediately changed into a black circle with black letters inside. Brian watched in horror as his monster began to change, its fur growing wilder, and its eyes becoming pools of shadow!

"What's happening?" Brian asked, "My monster looks like he did when I used the seal!"

Zeffie began to laugh maniacally, the crystal shard around her neck shimmering with purple light. At the same time, the tattoos on her body turned into black infinity symbols.

"That's because in this duel, the monsters will reflect what is in our hearts!" She laughed, "And no matter how much you deny it, or how hard you try to escape it, you can't get away from the darkness inside you!"

Brian began to shudder as he looked at his monster.

"Now then," Zeffie continued, "Zeffie will summon Luster Dragon #1 (2100/1000) in attack mode!"

A sapphire blue dragon materialized on the field, immediately becoming covered by a tattoo similar to its master. It let out a frightening roar as it glared at the wolf.

"Now Zeffie's monster will attack Brian's with sapphire smog blast!" Zeffie announced.

The dragon launched a blast of blue smoke from its mouth, and the warwolf let out one last howl as it shattered!

Zeffie LP: 7600

Brian LP: 7500

Tim LP: 8000

Yugi LP: 8000

Brian was shaking uncontrollably as he drew his next card.

"I'll set one monster in defense mode, that's all." He said nervously.

He slid the card onto his disk, and a replica of it materialized in front of him.

Tim drew and looked over his hand, seemingly not caring about the red fire tattoos that now covered him.

"I summon Raging Flame Sprite (300/200) to the field." He sighed as he placed the card on his tray, "And since all my monsters are creatures of fire, my seal is automatically set to fire."

A small pixie in brown clothes with a burning wand floated to the ground. She had a sad look on her face though, like she wasn't in the mood to battle, even as the fire tattoos appeared on her body.

Tim pointed at Yugi.

"Flame sprite, attack." Tim ordered.

The little girl lazily flicked her wand, showering Yugi with sparks!

Zeffie LP: 7600

Brian LP: 7500

Tim LP: 8000

Yugi LP: 7700

"Wait," Yugi shouted as he batted the sparks away, "how did you do that!"

"Flame sprite's special ability lets her attack you directly no matter what you have on the field, and every time she does she gains 1000 attack points." Tim explained.

A tiny fireball began to orbit around the Raging Flame Sprite (1100/200) who still didn't seem to care.

"Now attack Brian's monster!" Zeffie shouted at Tim.

Tim sighed and pointed at the facedown creature. Angus half-heartedly smashed it, and suddenly a black rope wrapped around the Luster Dragon!

Brian let out a sigh of relief.

"That was my Newdoria," he explained, "and, since it was destroyed in battle, I can select another monster to get rid of. In case it didn't sink in yet, I choose Luster Dragon!"

Zeffie screamed as her dragon shattered into a thousand pieces! Tim just shrugged, and waved his hand to end his turn.

"My turn now!" Yugi announced as he drew, "And I'll start by activating the special ability of Skilled Dark Magician!"

He smiled as he looked at his monster which began to glow with a golden light! Yugi slid a card from his deck, and swapped it with the monster on his disk. The light faded, revealing a man in purpled robes carrying a green staff.

"Since three spells were played since I summoned him," Yugi explained, "I can sacrifice the Skilled Dark Magician to summon the original Dark Magician (2500/2000) from my deck!"

The mighty spell caster bowed toward Yugi, and then turned toward the other monsters.

"Now Dark Magician, destroy the Raging Flame Sprite before she gets any stronger! Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi commanded.

Dark Magician swung his staff forward, aiming at the Flame Sprite. Suddenly, one of the cards behind her turned over!

"I activate Magic Cylinder." Tim stated as he pointed at his now face up card.

The magical tubes appeared to intercept the blast of dark magic, when they suddenly shattered as a purple mist surrounded them!

"That trap won't help thanks to my Trap Jammer card." Yugi said as his own trap lifted, "It negates any trap that's activated in the battle phase."

The attack continued, and the flame sprite screamed as she was vaporized!

Zeffie LP: 7600

Brian LP: 7500

Tim LP: 6800

Yugi LP: 7900

Yugi let out a sigh of relief.

"_That was close!"_ He thought as he took two cards from his hand, _"I never thought _he _would have a Magic Cylinder! Better be careful."_

Yugi placed two cards into his disk.

"I'll lay these cards facedown and end my turn." He declared as they appeared behind his magician.

Zeffie drew and smiled as she held up her next card.

"Time for Zeffie to use Graceful Charity!" She cheered as an angel appeared over her, showering light onto her deck.

Zeffie swiftly drew three cards, looked over her choices, and tossed two cards into the graveyard.

"Time for you to learn to take Zeffie seriously Mr. King-of-Games!" Zeffie shouted, "Zeffie activates Call of The Haunted to bring back Whirlwind Prodigy (1700/1600)!"

A tornado of purple mist jumped up on the field and in the center appeared the brown clothed boy. This time, however, he was covered in black tattoos and had a strange glint in his eye.

"_I'll bet she's going to sacrifice him for a stronger monster."_ Brian thought, _"Well, Yugi should be able to handle things if I can't…I hope."_

Zeffie smiled as she slid another card into her disk. Immediately, a huge multi-colored portal opened in front of her!

"What is that!" Yugi shouted as the gate began to howl.

"This is Different Dimension Gate!" Zeffie giggled, "And it spells doom for your Dark Magician! It lets Zeffie remove one of her monsters, and one of your monsters from play until it is destroyed! And since there's only one monster Zeffie can remove from your field…"

The gate let out another howl as Zeffie's prodigy and Yugi's magician were pulled through!

"OH-NO!" Yugi shouted.

"Don't panic Yugi!" Brian called out, "If we can destroy her gate, the monsters will come back!"

"And that's not going to happen." Zeffie said.

Zeffie placed another card into her disk, and a young woman with green hair in a purple body suit jumped onto the field!

"Meet Lady Ninja Yae (1300/200)!" Zeffie said with a smile, "Her special ability will get rid of Dark Magician for good!"

"What do you mean?" Yugi shouted.

Zeffie slid her last card into her graveyard and Yae began to gather a tornado around herself.

"You see," Zeffie explained, "when Zeffie discards a wind attribute monster from her hand, Yae sends every spell and trap back to our hands. And if D.D. Gate goes back to Zeffie's hand, the monsters _don't _come back!"

"NOOOOOO!" Yugi screamed (near tears) as every spell and trap, save the seals of course, was sent flying back to their owners' hands!

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Back in Domino City, Serenity let out a sigh as she laid down on her bed. She had just returned home from shopping with her mother, and two large bags of clothes sat next to the door to her room. She was still wearing her pink and yellow t-shirt and denim shorts, along with the angelic hair clip that she had received at the zoo two days ago.

Getting out of bed, Serenity looked at the clock on her nightstand. It read 5:00 p.m. She picked up the phone from the same nightstand, and dialed in a number. After three rings, a click sounded as someone picked up.

"_Hey there, this is the Wheeler residence. If you're trying to get a hold of Mr. Wheeler or Joey Wheeler, just leave a message and we'll get back to ya. If you're a telemarketer, or named Kaiba, just hang up right now."_ Joey's recorded voice stated.

"Hi Joey, it's about five." Serentiy said as she sat down on her bed, "Call me back when you get the chance, I want to find out how things went with Mr. Kaiba today."

With that, Serenity hung up. She walked over to the bags, and pulled out a group of scrunchies. Walking across the room, she sat down in front of her vanity mirror, and held the hair bands up to her current accessory.

"_No where near as cool."_ She thought as she put the scrunchies down.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Serentiy got to her feet, and exited her room.

"I'll get it mom!" She shouted as she headed down the hall.

Opening the front door, she smiled as she saw who was on the other side.

"Celeste! What are you doing here?" She asked.

Celeste was wearing the same outfit she had worn at the zoo, except now her hair was held in a tight bun by a yellow scrunchy.

"_So Joey didn't tell her…"_ Celeste thought.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by." Celeste explained with a smile, "Mind if I come in?"

_Trouble brewing…_

_If you want to find out what Celeste is doing here, you'll still have to wait a while. If you want to find out how Brian and Yugi end their duel, then you'll have to wait for our next chapter_

_Train of Terror_

_See ya then!_

---

Original Cards

---

Elemental Seal of Wind and Darkness

Field spell

You may choose to treat this card as either 'Elemental Seal of Wind' or 'Elemental Seal of Darkness.' It will have the effects of whichever one you treat it as.

_For more information on both seals, see the chapters 'Shadow's End' and 'Time's Up'_

---

Elemental Seal of Fire and Darkness

Field spell

You may choose to treat this card as either 'Elemental Seal of Fire' or 'Elemental Seal of Darkness.' It will have the effects of whichever one you treat it as.

_For more information on the Seal of Fire, see the chapter '12:00'_


	16. Train of Terror

Disclaimer: We still don't own the rights to Yu-Gi-Oh, but we have good news! We just saved a bunch of money on car insurance by switching to Geico (Not really!)! Also, we only own the characters and cards that aren't on the show/manga/card game unless otherwise noted.

_Previously,_

_According to Brian, it would seem that Needlez has kept his Elemental Duelists in the dark as to his true intentions. He's really the reincarnation of the Elemental Master, with plans to subjugate the entire world once he gets his old body back! Heading by train to the mountains, our brave adventurers are ambushed by Tim and Zeffie, who have been named the new Duelists of Darkness! With Brian being forced to watch as his monsters are corrupted by the dark, and Yugi's favorite monster removed from play, can our heroes win this tag team…_

**Chater 15**

**Train of Terror**

"My…my Dark Magician…" Yugi gasped.

"Is gone!" Zeffie cheered as she jumped up and down, "Hooray! Zeffie got rid of the best monster in Yugi's deck! Hooray for Zeffie!"

Looking over the field, Brian winced.

"_This is not good." _He thought, _"Zeffie got the advantage with that move!"_

He turned his gaze toward his empty portion of the field.

"_I've got nothing on the field, and five cards in my hand…"_ He thought.

He glanced at Zeffie, who was deep in thought and had a young woman in a purple body suit in front of her.

"_She's got her Seal of Wind and Darkness, plus Lady Ninja Yae (1300/200), and two cards in her hand…"_

He looked at Yugi, who was staring at his empty field.

"_Yugi's got nothing on the field, but six cards in his hand…"_

Brian finally looked at Tim, whose giant boar looked fairly distraught.

"_And Tim has Great Angus (2000/600), his Seal of Fire and Darkness, and four cards in his hand."_

Brian finally looked at the Millennium Puzzle, which he wore around his neck.

"_And the pharaoh can't help us here."_ He realized, _"Only Yugi knows how to reach him…"_

Zeffie in the meantime, was looking between Brian and Yugi.

"Zeffie really wants to beat Yugi…but Needlez said to take Brian first." Zeffie stated with a nod, "So Yae, attack Brian with wind jutsu!"

The ninja girl held up her hands, and a rush of wind flew from them! Brian screamed as the winds tore at him, pushing him to the edge of the seal.

Zeffie: 7600

Brian: 6200

Tim: 6800

Yugi: 7700

"That's all from Zeffie!" The young girl cheered.

Brian drew, and looked over his cards.

"_I have to play something, I can't let Zeffie win."_ Brian thought frantically.

"I summon Vampire Lady (1550/1550), in attack mode!" Brian declared as he placed a card on his disk.

Out of the column of shadows around the field stepped a young woman with pale skin. She wore an alluring, purple dress…

And Brian groaned as he saw that her eyes were nothing but shadows, and her fangs were dripping with blood.

"Remember, Zeffie said that all your monsters would reflect the darkness in your heart!" Zeffie shouted, "You can't get away! You tried to escape your darkness by surrendering your crystal, and now it will consume you."

"Vampire Lady…" Brian muttered, looking at the ground.

"_I don't have a choice…I have to!"_ Brian thought.

"Attack Zeffie's ninja, with kiss of the vampire!" Brian shouted.

Vampire Lady lunged forward, and sank her fangs into Yae's neck! The ninja girl moaned, then shattered into pixels!

Zeffie: 7350

Brian: 6200

Tim: 6800

Yugi: 7700

"And, since my vampire damaged your life points, you have to discard one kind of card from your deck. I choose trap card!" Brian declared.

"Okie-dokie!" Zeffie cheered as she picked up her deck.

She leafed through it, and eventually pulled out a Compulsory Evacuation Device. She slid it into her graveyard.

"Zeffie didn't think you'd give into the darkness so easily after working so hard to cast it off." The girl giggled, "Guess that old saying Goldie told me is true: A leopard never changes its spots!"

"Shut up!" Brian shouted, "I'm never letting the darkness consume me like that again! I set this card facedown again and end my turn."

Brian slid a card into his disk, and its holographic replica appeared behind the vampire. At the same time, the eye of the puzzle began glowing with a dim light.

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Needlez sighed as he watched the match. He was sitting on the ebony throne in the throne chamber. Mako and Gold, after cleaning the debris left from their fight, had been sent to clean the seal room, much to their disappointment.

"Oh please Zeffie, that saying is so old I learned it back in Brazil!" He muttered as he shook his head, "Of course, there we said it was a _jaguar_ that never changed its spots but…"

"Lord Needlez!" Celeste shouted as she appeared back in the cave, "I'm back!"

"Ah, Celeste." Needlez grinned as he turned to her, "Have ye done what I asked of ye?"

"Of course." The light duelist said with pride, "Our secret weapon is prepared. But may I ask why we're utilizing this plan?"

"It's a precautionary measure." Needlez explained, "Just in case Zeffie and Tim can't cut it."

"She won't…get hurt, will she?" Celeste asked as she looked toward the back of the cave.

Needlez smiled.

"Yeh needn't worry Celeste. I promise ye, she won't be hurt." Needlez said as he gestured to the image in front of him, "Now, would ye care to watch the duel with me?"

"I'd love to." Celeste said as she took a seat.

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Tim drew his next card.

"Brian, I'm sorry." Tim apologized, "I summon Hand of Nepthys (800/600)."

The woman in the golden bird mask slowly faded into view.

"Uh oh." Brian gasped.

"Now I'll use her special ability." Tim stated, "By offering her and Great Angus…"

The bird woman placed one hand on Angus's shoulder. Both monsters nodded, and then vanished in a column of golden fire. Tim slid a card from his deck, and placed it on his disk.

"To special summon: The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys (2600/1600)." Tim concluded.

The immense, golden bird soared onto the field. Rather than singing however, it let out a mournful sigh. It lowered its head till it was next to Tim. Tim stroked her beak.

"And now, my Phoenix will attack Yugi." Tim declared, pointing at the spiky haired kid.

Yugi looked up at the mention of his name. The phoenix opened its beak, and shot a blast of fire at him! Yugi carefully slid a card into his graveyard…

And a furry brown monster jumped in front of him! The monster squeaked bravely as it was struck by the fire, and collapsed into ash!

"Hey what the…" Zeffie protested.

"I may have lost Dark Magician, but I'm not out yet." Yugi growled as an angry glare appeared on his face.

Zeffie gasped as Yugi turned his gaze on her.

"Don't think you've won just by getting rid of one of my best monsters." Yugi declared, "He may be gone, but his sprit will still guide me!"

"Was that piece of dryer lint what I thought it was?" Tim asked as he looked at Yugi's graveyard.

"Yep, it was Kuriboh (300/200)." Yugi explained, "And when I discard him, I can negate any battle damage inflicted on me by one enemy monster."

"_Close one."_ Brian thought, wiping his brow.

"Anything else?" Yugi challenged.

"I reset these two cards and end my turn." Tim declared.

Two cards materialized in front of him.

Yugi drew, and smiled as he saw what was in his hand.

"_I should be wary of Tim's cards."_ Yugi reminded himself, _"But I can't miss a chance to even up the score a little."_

"I summon Queen's Knight (1500/1600) in attack mode." Yugi declared as he placed a card on the field.

A young woman in scarlet armor jumped onto the field. She held up a long sword, brandishing it at Zeffie.

"Oh boy…" Zeffie muttered.

"But instead of attacking and risking Tim's facedown cards, I'll lay these two cards facedown. That's all." Yugi declared as he slid two more cards into his disk.

Two more cards appeared behind the knight.

Zeffie breathed a sigh of relief as she drew.

"Zeffie summons Chaosrider Gustaph (1600/1500) in attack mode!" Zeffie declared slamming the card onto her disk.

A roaring sound filled the area, and out of the tornado surrounding the field flew the green skinned motorcyclist. He revved his engine, and the black infinity symbols appeared on his body.

"And now, Zeffie removes Graceful Charity and Gust Fan from her graveyard." Zeffie declared as she slid two cards from her grave.

"Wait, we never put Gust Fan in your graveyard!" Brian protested.

"But Zeffie did when she played Graceful Charity." Zeffie giggled, "So now Gustaph gets a power boost! 300 attack points for every spell Zeffie removed!"

Gustaph's (2200/1500) engine roared, and Zeffie pointed straight at the vampire.

"Attack Vampire Lady with exhaust rush!" Zeffie ordered.

Gustaph charged forward, heading straight toward Vampire Lady. Brian shuddered a bit.

"_Would protecting her be good, or bad?"_ He asked himself, _"If I protect her, would it mean that I'm letting the darkness take root?"_

"I activate, Reverse of Reverse!" Yugi shouted, pressing a button on his disk.

His facedown card lifted, and Zeffie and her monster both stared at it.

"What's that?" Zeffie asked.

"Reverse of Reverse let's me activate one of my opponent's facedown cards as if it were mine." Yugi explained, "And I'll choose Tim's facedown card on my right!"

Tim's eyes widened.

"But that's my…" He started.

The card crackled with energy, then lifted up. A blast of energy shot from in front of Gustaph, taking out him and the Phoenix!

"Mirror Force!" All four of them shouted at once.

"NO!" Zeffie screamed.

Both of her crystals flashed, and her gaze turned toward Yugi. Her eyes were filled with anger and frustration, which seemed to pour out toward the game king. Tim's crystal also flashed with intense, purple light, but then it immediately went out. Tim blinked in confusion, as Zeffie let out a low growl.

"I'll make you sorry you ever touched that stupid trap!" Zeffie growled angrily.

"We'll see." Yugi challenged.

Zeffie growled again as she slid a card into her disk.

"One facedown, and now Brian can go." Zeffie declared.

Brian drew, and looked at his facedown card.

"_I wonder if Yugi knew that I had this facedown."_ He thought.

"Tim's phoenix would normally comeback next turn." Brian declared, waving a hand over his disk, "But thanks to my trap, that won't be an issue."

The trap lifted, showing a dragon fading into mist.

"It's called, Disappear!" Brian declared, "And once activated I may select a monster in the graveyard and remove it from play. So goodbye phoenix!"

The ghostly image of the Sacred Phoenix appeared behind Tim, and then shattered into pixels.

"That's an unusual card." Yugi commented.

"I know," Brian confessed, "But I got tired of Tim always clobbering me with his Phoenix. I always keep it in my deck and hope for a chance to use it."

"_I guess it's not so bad that one of our opponents is his brother then." _Yugi thought, _"Still wish I didn't have to do this."_

"Alright, to continue my turn I summon Mystic Tomato (1400/1100) in attack mode." Brian declared, putting a new card on his disk.

Next to the Vampire Lady materialized a new creature. It looked like a giant tomato, with eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth. It hissed, and stuck a forked tongue out of its mouth as black markings appeared on it.

Zeffie snickered a little as she looked at the creature.

"You don't get it, do you?" She asked, pointing at Brian, "You're just sealing your own fate."

"What do you mean?" Brian shouted.

"Every time you attack…every monster you summon…" Zeffie continued, "Each one of them embodies part of the darkness in you. And the more you use them, the more it takes hold!"

Brian drew back, staring at his two monsters in fear. The creatures were both eyeing Zeffie and Tim hungrily…

"_Could she be right?"_ Brian wondered, _"Am I just letting the darkness take me again…"_

Tim turned toward Zeffie, and shot her a fearsome glare.

"Leave him alone Zeffie." Tim ordered, "Let him finish his turn."

"It's not my fault if he loses his nerve 'cause he can't handle the truth." Zeffie sneered in response.

"I…choose to end my turn by playing one card facedown." Brian sighed as slid a card into his disk.

The facedown card appeared behind his monsters, which looked very disappointed that they wouldn't be tearing Zeffie apart. Tim just frowned at the snickering girl, and drew a new card.

"I play Card of Sanctity to reload our hands." Tim said, sliding the card into his disk, "Of course, this is more a benefit for me and Zeffie."

"_Damn it!"_ Brian thought as he drew three cards, _"He always does this. Play a card that affects both players but only helps him."_

"Now I summon my second Raging Flame Sprite (300/200)!" Tim said, slapping a new card onto his disk.

In front of Tim appeared another brown clothed pixy. The little monster just sighed and, like the first one, drifted lazily to the roof of the train.

"_Tim's monsters don't seem very enthusiastic about dueling us."_ Yugi observed, _"Zeffie said the monsters reflect our hearts. I wonder…"_

Yugi's train of thought was interrupted by Tim.

"Flame Sprite, attack Yugi." Tim ordered as he pointed at the boy across from him, "And don't forget, she can attack directly."

The pixy waved her wand, and a shower of sparks flew toward Yugi. Brian waved one hand over his disk, and his facedown card lifted.

"I activate, Sakuretsu Armor to block your attack!" Brian gasped as the stony, black armor jumped in the way.

Zeffie sneered, and her own trap lifted. A large pocket knife flew out of it, and struck the armor.

"I use Seven Tools of the Bandit to negate your trap." She stated, energy wafting from her body, "And it only costs me one-thousand life points."

Suddenly, Yugi's facedown card lifted. The boy smiled as a purple mist wrapped around the knife, which began to shudder.

"Sorry Zeffie," Yugi said, pointing at his trap, "But my Trap Jammer negates any trap activated in the battle phase, including your seven tools. And since the last card activated in a chain is the first one to count, Brian's trap works!"

"So wait, that would mean…but what…and then…" Tim muttered, holding his head, "Ah, screw it. Between dueling my brother and chaining traps, I'm way too confused!"

Tim pressed a button on his disk, lifting his facedown card. A blast of wind shot out, and blew away Yugi's mist! The armor then shattered, and Yugi covered his face as several embers hit him.

"There, my Dust Tornado counted first, since it activated last." Tim explained as the life points readjusted, "So I could destroy Yugi's trap, which let Zeffie's work, and destroyed Brian's. Now let's not do that again."

Zeffie: 6350

Brian: 6200

Tim: 6800

Yugi: 7400

"Sorry Brian." Tim sighed as he put two more cards into his disk, "I'll end my turn with these two cards, facedown."

Two cards appeared behind the flame sprite (1300/200), who just sat down in front of them. A small fireball now orbited around her body. Yugi frowned as he drew a seventh card.

"I summon King's Knight (1600/1400) in attack mode!" Yugi declared, sliding a card onto his disk.

Next to the Queen's Knight, appeared a man in yellow armor. He had a blond beard, and carried a dazzling sword and shield. He and Queen's Knight looked at each other, nodded, and crossed their swords. Yugi slid another card from his deck, and placed it onto the field.

"Now, when King's Knight is summoned when I have Queen's Knight on the field, I'm allowed to special summon Jack's Knight (1900/1000) from my deck." Yugi stated as a blond haired knight in blue armor leapt onto the field. He joined his own sword with the other two, and the three let out a battle cry.

Yugi smiled at his warrior trio, and looked around the field. A look of horror crossed his face suddenly.

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" Yugi shouted, falling down flat on his stomach.

The other three looked at Yugi, then they looked in the direction they were going. They gasped, and quickly lay down as well (the monsters following suit) as a low hanging rock formation passed through the seal, and over them. Getting back to their feet, everyone checked to make sure they were all still in one piece. The monsters all got back up, and all of them looked at Yugi with appreciation on their faces.

"Oh yeah, we're on a moving train." Tim mumbled to himself as he watched the rock disappear into the distance.

"Well that was exciting." Zeffie scowled, "Now are you done with your move!"

"Not yet." Yugi said, sliding another card into his disk, "I activate, Polymerization!"

The other three stared at him as they saw a vortex of swirling energy appear above Yugi's head. The spiky headed boy took a card from his deck case on his waist, took the three knights off of the duel tray, and placed the knights in his grave.

"What are you doing?" Zeffie sneered, "You don't have anything to fuse!"

"Yes I do Zeffie." Yugi announced as he placed the fusion monster on his tray, "I fuse King's Knight, Queen's Knight, and Jack's Knight…"

The three monsters were pulled upward, into the vortex. A strange light began to shine down from the portal, and from it emerged a woman in purple armor. She had a small shield attached to her left arm…and in her right hand she hefted a massive sword!

"And summon, Arcana Knight Joker (3800/2500)!" Yugi finished.

"Woah!" Brian gasped, "What is that?"

"Proof that Zeffie didn't cripple my deck as much as she thought." Yugi explained, "I'm more than just the Dark Magician Zeffie, every card in my deck is powerful if used the right way."

Zeffie was gaping at the monster. She opened her mouth, but it snapped shut immediately.

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"Holy crap!" Needlez and Celeste both shouted as the Arcana Knight Joker appeared.

"That is one hell of a monster!" Needlez gasped.

"Wait," Celeste muttered, scrunching her forehead in concentration, "That thing has 3800 attack points, but Yugi's three knights had a grand total of 5000 between them. Why would he give up 1200 attack points and two extra attacks like that?"

Needlez looked at the monster on the screen.

"I honestly don't know lass." He sighed, "But I get the feeling I've heard of this monster somewhere…"

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Back on the train, Yugi pointed right at Zeffie, who meeped in fear.

"Alright Joker, attack Zeffie directly now!" Yugi ordered.

The knight lifted her blade, and started to charge forward, when Tim suddenly lifted one of his facedown cards! A rocky suit of armor jumped in front of the female knight, and lifted its fist.

"Sorry Yugi, but you just went through a lot of trouble for nothing." Tim explained sadly, "My Sakuretsu Armor will destroy the Joker!"

"Guess again!" Yugi declared as he slid a card into his graveyard.

The warrior swung its blade, and shattered the armor. Zeffie screamed in terror as the rocks flew toward her, only to be deflected by a blast of dark wind.

Zeffie: 2550

Brian: 6200

Tim: 6800

Yugi: 7400

"What just happened?" Tim asked.

"YOUR STUPID TRAP DIDN'T WORK, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!" Zeffie screamed at him, "AND I ALMOST GOT KILLED BECAUSE OF IT!"

"Speaking of which, everyone duck!" Brian shouted as he fell to the ground again.

The other duelists and their monsters followed suit, as another rock formation passed over them.

"Now what happened with that trap!" Zeffie shouted at Yugi.

"Arcana Knight Joker can, once per turn, negate the effects of one card that targets her, as long as I discard a card of a matching type." Yugi explained, getting to his feet, "Since she was targeted by a trap, Sakuretsu Armor, I discarded my Chain Destruction trap to negate it."

Zeffie was just glaring at Yugi as he slid another card into his duel disk.

"Now I'll set this card facedown and end my turn." Yugi declared as the card appeared behind his knight.

"Then it's my move!" Zeffie shouted as she drew a card.

Looking at the card, Zeffie began to chuckle. Then she just burst into all out laughter.

"Too perfect, I know just how to handle your knight!" She shouted, placing a card on her disk, "I summon Flying Kamakiri #1 (1600/900) in attack mode."

In front of her materialized a large, green bug. The creature looked like a cross between a praying mantis and a hornet, and was buzzing angrily at the Joker.

"And now I use Creature Swap on Yugi!" Zeffie continued, sliding another card into her disk, "So that means the two of us each select a monster on our side of the field, and trade them. And since this card doesn't technically target, I get control of your knight!"

The knight looked sadly at Yugi, and then she and the insect faded away. The two of them reappeared, Kamakiri (1400/900) now hovered in front of Yugi, and the Knight (4000/2500) stood before Zeffie. The knight screamed as black tattoos were etched into her face and hands, but she stopped as her eyes turned into pools of shadow.

"Oh no…" Brian muttered, "She actually did it…"

"Joker, attack Kamakiri!" Zeffie ordered.

The knight leapt forward, and swung her blade through the bug. It shrieked in pain, and shattered. As it did though, one of its clear wings floated to Zeffie's side of the field, and a tornado flew from it.

"And since that send Kamakiri to my graveyard, I can choose a creature of wind with 1500 attack points or less to summon right now!" Zeffie laughed, sliding a card from her disk, "And I choose the Little-Winguard (1600/1800)."

A small knight, only about two feet tall, wearing a winged helmet descended from the tornado. He brandished his sword, and pointed it at Brian's Vampire lady as black infinity symbols appeared on his armor.

"Attack Vampire Lady!" Zeffie ordered.

The tiny knight flew forward, slashing his blade through the vampire's stomach. The pale woman screamed, and shattered into fragments. Winguard floated back to Zeffie's side of the field.

Zeffie: 2550

Brian: 6150

Tim: 6800

Yugi: 4800

"Now then, in case either one of you comes up with anymore bright ideas, I'll set one card facedown and move my Winguard to defense mode." Zeffie finished, turning the card on her disk and sliding one into it.

The little knight crouched down and shielded himself, and another card appeared behind it.

"Wait a minute, you can't just switch a monster to defense mode in the same turn it attacked." Brian protested, pointing at the tiny knight.

"Normally, no." Zeffie nodded, "But Winguard's effect lets me change his battle position once during each of my end phases. Now take your turn! Or are you still afraid of the dark?"

Brian gulped, and drew his seventh card. Looking over the field, he closed his eyes.

"_What am I supposed to do?"_ He thought _"I've got to find a way to stop this but…"_

Brian felt his whole body shaking.

"_I'm scared…"_ He realized, _"I don't want…my judgment…my mind…my heart to be consumed by darkness again!"_

Brian was breathing heavily, and beginning to hyperventilate. He fell to his knees, and then face down onto the train, the Millennium Puzzle being forced to his right as he fell. It settled to the ground next to his right arm, the eye still shimmering a little bit.

"Brian!" Yugi shouted, trying to run over to him.

"Stop right there!" Zeffie shouted, raising her hand, "We're still dueling here, and if you try to get too close to your partner during a tag team match you automatically lose."

"But he may be hurt!" Yugi protested.

"Then he has two minutes to get up, or I'm gonna say he forfeits." Zeffie grinned.

Tim's fist was shaking as he stared at his brother's prone form…

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Brian opened his eyes._

_All around him was nothing but an inky darkness. No sign of the others, the train, or anything for that matter._

_Brian struggled to his feet, and gasped as he felt something pull him back down. Looking at the ground, he saw that his feet and hands were being held by black chains!_

"_No!" Brian screamed as he struggled against the chains, "Let me go!"_

_The bindings held fast however. The teen winced as he felt them bite into his wrists…_

"_Need a hand?" A smooth, friendly voice asked._

_Looking up, Brian gasped as he saw a pale man in a black tuxedo standing over him! He wore a blood red cape, and a pair of fangs extended from under his upper lip._

"_Vampire Lord!" Brian exclaimed._

"_That's right!" The zombie-type said, "Here let me help you…"_

"_Stay back!" Brian shouted, pulling away as best he could, "I'm not letting the darkness take me…Ah!"_

_The chains tightened around his wrists, pulling down even harder._

"_Did you forget Brian?" Vampire Lord asked, "Forgot about the promise you made?"_

_Brian looked at the vampire._

"_You know about that?" He asked, "But how?"_

"_I'm part of the reason you made it." Vampire Lord laughed, sweeping out his cape, "You said you wanted to prove that darkness could be used for more than just evil, right?"_

"_Yeah…" Brian muttered, looking at the ground, "But…I was wrong. And now I'm going to be lost to it again…"_

"_No, you're not." Vampire Lord said stepping forward, "And the reason is simple: You were right."_

_Brian stared at his monster in disbelief. The chains began to loosen a bit._

"_How do you figure?" Brian asked._

"_Don't you remember what Yugi just said?" The undead king asked, "Any card can be powerful if used right. Well, the same applies to the elements, and whether they're good or evil. Any element can be used for good, even darkness. Just look at Yugi, some of his best monsters draw their powers from the dark. And while they are tempted down the path of evil, they can resist because they believe, like you, that the darkness can be used for good."_

_Brian nodded in agreement, his shackles loosening even more._

"_The same applies to creatures of every element, and to people and animals outside this game. We all do things using our own methods, and those may not seem like the right way to others." Vampire Lord continued, kneeling down next to Brian, "We all feel the temptation to do evil, but we each fight it in our own way. Even the creatures of the deepest darkness can use their powers for good if they desire."_

"_But all those stories about the darkness being used for evil…" Brian started._

"_It was never the darkness itself that was evil." Vampire Lord grinned, "Darkness is just another method to do what you have to do, and its power is at your command if you can handle it."_

"_How?" Brian asked, looking right into the vampire's eyes._

"_Just stop being afraid of it." Was the answer, "Know that you have darkness inside, and accept it. Do that, and it can be your greatest asset."_

_The chains began to crumble away, and Vampire Lord helped Brian to his feet._

"_You'd better get back, or Yugi will be in a world of trouble." Vampire Lord advised._

"_But what about you?" Brian asked._

"_I'll be there shortly, don't worry about a thing." The vampire answered._

_As Brian vanished, the Vampire Lord smiled, and turned to a shadowy figure with a golden eye on his forehead. The figure stepped forward, revealing Yami!_

"_Thank you for allowing me to help my friend." The zombie lord said with a bow, "I'll never forget what you've done for us."_

"_Think nothing of it." Yami replied, "I should really thank you. I wanted to offer assistance in this duel, but I'm incapable of communicating directly with anybody but Yugi. Fortunately, it seems I could still contact Brian through his favorite monster."_

"_Do you think what I said will really help?" Vampire Lord asked, "He was pretty nervous…"_

"_As long as you truly meant it, and I can tell you did, you should have nothing to worry about." Yami assured the zombie, "Now you'd better get out there. But do me a favor, and kick Zeffie's butt for me."_

_Yami vanished in a barrage of golden sparks._

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On the train, only thirty seconds had passed. Tim started to take a step forward, but a blast of wind forced him back! Tim looked over to Zeffie, who was glaring at him now.

"What do you think you're doing?" The blond girl growled.

"I'm checking on my brother." Tim stated, pocketing his cards, "Now let me go to him."

"Forget it." Zeffie sneered, raising one hand, "You can check on him after the seal takes his talent."

"Zeffie, let me go." Tim threatened as his hands ignited, "Or, so help me, I'll burn your entire deck into ashes!"

"Umm, guys…" Yugi started.

"Stay out of this!" Both of the other two shouted.

"It's my turn." A second voice declared.

"What!" Zeffie gasped, turning away from Tim…

To see Brian getting back to his feet! The teen held up his seven card hand, and smiled as he saw the card he had just drawn. At the same time, the Mystic Tomato's tattoos faded away, and its angry sneer was replaced with a goofy grin.

"Hey!' Zeffie shouted, "What's happening, how could your monster get rid of the darkness?"

"It didn't Zeffie, and neither did I." Brian explained as he switched the monster on his disk for the card he had drawn, "I'm accepting the darkness in me, not running away from it any more."

The tomato winked, and faded away. In his place appeared a swarm of bats. The bats swooped around in a circle, forming a column of beating wings before they dissipated…

Revealing a pale skinned vampire in a night black tuxedo.

"I've sacrificed Mystic Tomato to summon Vampire Lord (2000/1500) in attack mode!" Brian declared, "Now get ready Zeffie, because I'm about to show you what darkness is really capable of!"

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"I honestly didn't expect the lad to git up." Needlez mused.

"This should be interesting." Celeste said with a smile.

Needlez cradled his chin in his hand. Then he slowly shook his head.

"No, I don't think it is." He frowned, "I can already tell, Zeffie is going to lose…"

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Zeffie stared at Brian, and started laughing again. She fell to her own knees, holding her sides as she did, and continued laughing hysterically.

"You've (hahahahahaha) got to be (Heeheehee) joking!" She choked out, "That monster (hahahaha) doesn't have a chance!"

"Oh yeah?" Brian challenged, sliding another card from his hand, "Let me show you something. I activate Brain Control!"

A large brain appeared next to the vampire, who smiled as glowing energy flowed from Brian into it.

Zeffie: 2550

Brian: 5350

Tim: 6800

Yugi: 4800

"I just pay 800 life points to take control of Arcana Knight Joker." Brian declared.

A pair of misty hands extended from the brain, and reached for the knight. Zeffie just shrugged, and shoved a card (another Gust Fan) into her graveyard. The Joker laughed insanely, and swung her weapon through the hands, dissipating them and the brain.

"Did you forget that I could discard a card of the same type to negate yours?" She laughed again, "That was pretty…"

"I didn't forget Zeffie." Brian interrupted as he slid another card into his disk, "But I did have a back up plan in case you could stop Brain Control. Now try Snatch Steal on for size!"

A shifty looking man in red clothes materialized next to Vampire Lord. The man looked at Brian, who smiled and pointed at the joker again.

"There's your target." Brian said.

The man nodded, and dashed toward the heavily armored monster…

"Sheesh, what a pest!" Zeffie sighed as she picked another card from her hand, "Fine, I'll discard Premature Burial to…"

"You can't!" Yugi interrupted as he turned to Brian, "Arcana Knight Joker can only use her special ability once per turn, remember?"

"What!" Zeffie gasped, "But that means…"

The man continued, and vanished into the knight's body! Arcana Knight Joker blinked in surprise, then stumbled to Brian's side of the field, standing next to the Vampire Lord. Both creatures looked toward Zeffie, who drew back in horror.

"_It's alright…" _She thought, looking to her facedown card, _"You still have that Sakuretsu Armor facedown, when he attacks, you'll just wipe out the joker. And if that doesn't work, then you still have Tim's."_

"And now, I play my own Premature Burial." Brian announced, sliding yet another card into his disk, "So let's give a big round of applause for the return of my Pitch Black Warwolf (1600/800)!"

Zeffie: 2550

Brian: 4550

Tim: 6800

Yugi: 4800

There was a growling noise, and out of Brian's graveyard slot leapt a black furred wolfman. It raised its sword, pointing it at Zeffie who cringed.

"Thanks to his special ability, no traps can be used in the battle phase…" Brian began.

"_Which renders my Widespread Ruin, and most likely Zeffie's facedown card, completely useless."_ Tim thought with a smile, _"Man it's good to have my bro back!"_

The Raging Flame Sprite perked up, and jumped excitedly into the air. She began to hover there, watching as the three monsters prepared for battle

"…and next I'll activate Dark Core!" Brian continued, dropping a card from his hand into the grave, "This will remove Little Winguard from play, at the cost of one card from my hand!"

An orb of black energy surrounded the tiny warrior, who screamed in terror as it vanished! Zeffie stared up at the joker, as Brian slid his final card into his disk.

"And my final card is was a special gift from Needlez, one that I really should thank him for." Brian concluded, "It's called Negative Energy, and it doubles the attack of every dark monster in play."

A large orb with a green N on it appeared behind Brian's monsters. It began to pump out bolts of energy, causing Vampire Lord (4000/1500) and Pitch Black Warwolf (3200/800) to both throw back there heads in laughter. Their laughs sounded more joyous though, like they were thankful of the gift. Both of them looked at Brian appreciatively then turned to Zeffie and Tim.

"_That's Brian for ya."_ Tim thought as he shook his head, _"He'll play a card that affects everyone, and make sure it only affects him."_

"Course, this card makes the duel a little boring. But I needed something to take the place of Zorc." Brina said with a shrug, "Maybe I'll sell it on line after Needlez is gone…Well, more on that later. Vampire Lord, attack Zeffie with Children of the Night!"

The vampire smiled, and opened his cape. A swarm of bats swooped out, and dove at Zeffie who screamed in horror as they surrounded her! She fell facedown, and moaned as her life points slipped away.

Zeffie: 0

Brian: 5350

Tim: 6800

Yugi: 4800

The black circle closed in around Zeffie, leaving Yugi, Tim, and Brian in a red one. A point of purple light floated from Zeffie's prone form, and hovered for a minute before floating down and vanishing as it touched the chain of her necklace.

"Now, Arcana Knight Joker, wipeout Raging Flame Sprite!" Brian ordered.

The knight leapt forward, toward the brown clothed pixy. She swung her sword through the tiny creature, who screamed in pain as she vanished in a burst of pixels.

"Sorry Bro." Brian apologized.

"Do what you gotta do." Tim said with a smile, "You always say that you never take it easy on anybody."

"Yeah, I do say that don't I." Brian nodded, "Warwolf, attack directly with pitch black sword attack!"

The wolfman charged forward, and swung his sword across Tim's chest. The red-head gasped, and stumbled backward, but at the same time his smile never wavered.

Zeffie: 0

Brian: 5350

Tim: 1700

Yugi: 4800

"Great work Brian!" Yugi cheered, "I'll be able to handle things from here."

"I hope so Yugi, I just ran out of cards in my hand." Brian stated, "Your move Tim."

Tim drew, and looked at the card. He smiled a bit, then placed the card back and held his hand over his disk. Yugi's eyes widened in shock at the sight of what duelists officially accepted as a sign of surrender.

"Sorry guys, but I'm not done breathing yet." Tim joked, "I think I'll surrender before Yugi remedies that."

The Seal of Fire began to flare up, but Tim calmly snapped his fingers. The seal immediately shattered into fragments, leaving all three duelists unharmed.

"Well that was kind of disappointing." Yugi muttered, "And neither of us even lost half of our life points."

"Things did seem pretty grim for a moment though." Brian pointed out as the holograms faded away.

Zeffie gasped for breath as she got to her feet, looking at the shimmering crystal around her neck. She stared at it for a moment, and then began to cry!

"WAAAAH!" The little girl sobbed, "Zeffie doesn't want to lose her talent!"

Zeffie grabbed hold of Tim's hand, as he walked over to comfort her.

"There, there." He sighed, "I guess you should have stuck with your own element. Then you could have broken the seal like I did. The wind and fire crystals still have the power to break their seals, remember?"

Zeffie just continued to sob, and buried her face in Tim's chest. Tim's face went into a look of shock as the front of his jacket was quickly soaked.

"Okay, we'd better just leave." Tim said as flames licked around his feet, "But we should tag team again sometime, that was actually fun!"

"Umm…sure, you got it?" Yugi said, looking at Brian.

"Hey Tim!" Brian shouted.

Tim turned to his brother as the flames climbed up around him.

"Tell Needlez we're coming for him." Brian warned, pointing his thumb straight down.

Tim smiled, as he and Zeffie vanished in a flash of fire.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wow, poor Zeffie." Celeste muttered sympathetically.

"Ye should be saying poor Tim." Needlez grumbled as he got to his feet.

"Why?" Celeste asked, the image from the train fading away, "He didn't lose his…Oh."

A look of realization crossed the light duelist's face.

"He kept the seal on fire mode." She realized, "It's like he never expected to win in the first place."

Needlez nodded his head as he headed to the seal room, with Celeste following behind him. Upon entering, they found Gold and Mako scrubbing a perfectly smooth floor. The only oddities were, of course, the stone tablets on the ground, and the entombed body in the center of the room.

"Somethin' up?" Gold asked as he got to his feet, "You look upset over something."

"Two things." Needlez corrected, "One, it seems yeh'll have to keep an eye on Tim, and two…"

Needlez rubbed the sleeve of his jacket over a smudged portion of the crystal pillar.

"Yeh missed a spot."

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Back on the train, Brian and Yugi were carefully working their way over to the end car. They had been at it for about ten minutes, and they hadn't made much progress.

"Hey Yugi!" Brian shouted over the roar of the passing wind.

"Yeah!" Yugi shouted back.

"Sorry if I upstaged you back in that duel!" Brian yelled.

"That's okay, you did great!" Yugi shouted, "Besides, it's not like I didn't help. You used my monster, remember?"

"Good point!" Brian responded, "Hey, does it feel like we're slowing down to you?"

Both of them stopped, and realized that the train was indeed, slowing down. The winds passing over the two died down, and they sat on the train as it finally came to a complete stop two minutes later. The two sat down, and looked around at the canyon they had stopped in, Brian fingering something around his neck…

"The Millennium Puzzle!" Brian gasped as removed the sacred item, "Sorry Yugi, I forgot Zeffie put it on me."

"That's okay." Yugi smiled as he donned the puzzle, "I'm just glad she didn't throw it off the roof."

"_That makes two of us."_ Yami commented, projecting himself next to Yugi, _"So, how was dueling without me?"_

"_Not to bad actually."_ Yugi thought with a grin, _"Maybe I'll try it more often once all this is over…"_

"_You're joking, right?"_ Yami asked, a look of shock on his face.

Joey and Kaiba both stepped out of the private car, and turned to the roof. Joey cupped his hands around his mouth, and took a deep breath…

"Hey Yugi, you okay?" Joey shouted, causing Kaiba to wince.

"Not in my ear!" Kaiba yelled at him.

"I'm fine guys, and so is Brian." Yugi responded, "Now how about a hand down?"

"Sure thing!" Joey agreed with a smile.

It took about five more minutes to get both Yugi and Brian down safely, both of them finally deciding to jump down. Brian crouched as he landed, and winced as he fell on his behind. Yugi…

Landed on Joey, plowing him facedown into the ground.

"Sorry Joey." Yugi apologized as he got up, "You okay?"

"Just fine." Joey groaned as he got to his feet, "So is this the place?"

Brian looked around. They were standing in what appeared to be a canyon, with smooth cliff faces rising up on either side around them. The ground was amazingly smooth, like a paved road. Not a single stone or stray twig lay on it.

"Yep, this is the place." Brian confirmed, starting down the path, "Gold evened this area out so we could find our way to it with no problems. The cave lies at the end of this canyon."

"Needlez is probably expecting us…" Kaiba pointed out, turning to the others.

"Then let's go!" Joey cheered as he started moving forward, "And I call dibs on the next evil duelist!"

_Boy, is Joey gonna wish he never said that…_

_If you want to find out why, you'll have to wait for our next chapter, titled:_

_It's Back…_

_And no, we won't tell you anymore about it._

_See ya then…_

---

Original Cards

---

Arcana Knight Joker

LIGHT

Warrior/fusion/effect

9 stars

3800 attack

2500 defense

King's Knight + Queen's Knight +Jack's Knight

This card can only be fusion summoned using the proper fusion material monsters. When this card is targeted by the effects of an opponent's spell, trap, or effect monster card, discard one card of the same type to negate the effect.

_This card is an actual, promotional card in Japan. It has never been used in the anime, though it has been used in a Japanese Yu-Gi-Oh Manga known as "Yu-Gi-Oh R."_

---

Negative Energy

Spell

Image of a large green orb with an N in the center of it.

Double the attack of all DARK attribute monsters in play.

_This card was first used in the anime by Pegasus in the episode "Champion vs. Creator (Part One)." All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

A/N: Not the most impressive duel, I know, but what do you expect from a two-on-two duel where Yugi has a partner who's familiar with both of his opponent's decks? Don't worry, our next duels will be more impressive.

---

Reverse of Reverse

Trap

Activate one of your opponent's facedown cards as if it were yours.

_This card was first used by Yugi in "Yu-Gi-Oh: The Movie" All creative credit goes to the writers of the movie_


	17. It's Back

A/N: Warning! This is chapter holds our obligatory super cheesy motivational speech! You may skip it if you wish, but we'd appreciate some feed back about it. Consider yourself warned.

Disclaimer: We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh (the show or the card game), but we do own our original characters and cards, unless otherwise noted. We also own the cheesy speech in this chapter.

_Previously,_

_Brian and Yugi successfully manage to drive away Tim and Zeffie, and reach the canyon in one piece. Now they approach Needlez's lair, and chances are he won't take to kindly to the intrusion…_

**Chapter 16**

**It's Back…**

Needlez was sitting back on his black throne; the five remaining Elemental Duelists were standing before him. It had been roughly fifteen minutes since Zeffie and Tim had returned, and they had already infused the distraught Zeffie's talent into the seal to release Needlez talent into the body. Now infused with the "power of life," the body's eyes followed anyone who entered the room.

"It would seem our foes are drawing closer." Needlez mused, looking at his watch, "They'll arrive soon, and we need the pharaoh alive."

"What about the others?" Gold asked, cracking his knuckles nonchalantly, "What could they do to us?"

"Ye remember what ye said about when your ex-wife left ye right?" Needlez asked, leaning closer to the earth duelist.

"Yeah." Gold said with a nod, "She took me for practically everything I had, even got me paying child support for our kid. Lucky I found out how much money I could make playing Duel Monster tourneys or I'd…"

"These others could do worse to us." Needlez interrupted, causing Gold to snap his mouth shut, "The pharaoh is always stronger when his friends are close by, and so we must do all we can to isolate him from them."

"But how do we do that?" Mako asked, scratching his head.

"Simple." Needlez grinned, "Stop holding back when ye blast them."

"You mean you want us to use those ridiculously over-the-top attacks we came up with that we have to announce like we're in a bad anime?" Tim asked, furrowing his brow.

"Aye." Needlez nodded.

"Zeffie loves using those moves!" Zeffie cheered.

"But we run the risk of killing them with those moves." Celeste pointed out.

"Then that's just what yeh'll have to do." Needlez declared, standing up from his throne, "Don't let them fool you! I was tricked into showing mercy to those evil mystics seven thousands years ago, and how did they repay me? They sealed my soul away, and stole my powers! The five of ye must show no mercy, make sure none but the pharaoh enter."

Needlez looked down at his minions, and saw they were looking up at him in shock. Their mouths were gaping open, and their eyes wide.

"Oh, fer the love of…" Needlez muttered as his watch began to glow again, "It's the only way. Surely ye must see that."

Zeffie's eyes narrowed as her own crystal began to glow.

"Let's roll team!" She shouted, vanishing in a tornado and turning to Needlez, "But don't call me 'Shirley.'"

The other four crystals all began to glow and the other four duelists vanished in their respective columns. Needlez smiled as he looked at the stone in the center of his watch.

"It's so hard to find good help these days." He sighed as he put the watch back in his pocket, "But thank goodness for brainwashing!"

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In the canyon, Brian led the other three forward. The canyon had been pretty straight, with enough space between the cliffs for the four to walk shoulder-to-shoulder if they desired. At the moment though, Kaiba and Joey were walking near opposite cliff faces, and Yugi was right behind Brian. They had been waling for roughly twenty minutes since the train stopped, and they hadn't stopped for anything.

"We almost there?" Joey asked, picking up the pace a bit, "I can't wait to give that Needlez a piece of my mind!"

"You should be thankful we're taking so long then." Kaiba snickered, "You need all that you can spare."

"Watch it…" Joey growled, turning toward Kaiba.

"Relax, we're here." Brian stated, pointing toward a cave just ahead.

The four of them picked up the pace, breaking into a run. As they approached the cave however, five columns burst up in front of them! From the columns emerge the other five Elemental Duelists, each of them staring down their opponents.

"The Elemental Duelists!" Yugi exclaimed, as he and the others screeched to a halt.

"Guess whose back." Gold said with a smile.

"They just did." Mako muttered, "And they were right."

"You shall not pass!" Zeffie shouted, then she giggled, "Zeffie has always wanted to say that."

Brian looked up at his brother, who was fingering the dark crystal around his neck.

"What are you guys doing?" Brian asked.

"Sorry, Needlez says that no one but Yugi and the pharaoh enter." Celeste stated, a glowing yellow aura flaring to life around her, "The rest of you will have to wait out here."

"Like hell we are!" Joey shouted, raising his fists, "If you think, for one minute, that I'm going to send my best buddy into some nut job's hideout by himself, you've got another thing comin'!"

"We were kind of hoping you wouldn't say that." Gold grumbled as he pressed his hands to the ground, "**Fearful Earthbound!"**

Joey gasped as the earth beneath him split, and a huge pair of jaws sprang from the ground he was standing on! Joey jumped back just as the jaws closed around where he had been standing a second ago.

"Well, seems the old dog's learned some new tricks." Kaiba muttered, "And it looks like our enemies have gained more power too…"

Joey shot an angry glare at Kaiba, as Brian took a step forward.

"I know that you guys don't want to hurt us." Brian called out to them, "You have to listen to me. Needlez has been controlling our emotions with those crystals! You have to get rid of them right now, before you do something you regret!"

"Sorry, no can do." Zeffie retorted, "Lordy Needlez said to make sure no one got in, and so we'll make sure that you don't. You'll have to get through Zeffie, Goldie, Celestey, Mr. Tsunami, and…Timmy?"

Zeffie gasped the last part of that as Tim suddenly jumped towards her. She tried to jump away, but Tim closed his hand around the dark crystal hanging around the girl's neck. He quickly tore it off, along with his own piece of the crystal, and turned to Brian.

"Bro, catch!" Tim shouted as he tossed the fragments toward Brian.

Brian caught the gems, and a flare of purple light sprung from his hand. He looked in his hand and gasped as he saw that the dark crystal had reformed! The two pieces had merged into one, and the extra chain now fell to the ground.

"What are you…" Celeste started, turning toward Tim.

"Sorry, but my family comes first." Tim smiled as he turned toward Brian.

"Hey…" Yugi grinned, "Brian, I think Tim's managed to shake off Needlez's control!"

"Well, if I could do it, I guess he could to." Brian said as he donned his crystal, "We'll keep the other four distracted, the rest of you get in their!"

Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba all ran toward the cave entrance. Mako and Gold both started toward them to try and block their path, when a ring of flame shot up around them. Celeste and Zeffie watched in shock as the three heroes dashed into the cave, and Tim ran to Brian's side. The flames around Gold and Mako fell away, and the two of them glared at Tim. Zeffie jumped forward, and landed on Gold's shoulder, while Celeste ran up to Mako's side.

"Let's get this started." Brian said, "You ready bro?"

Tim smiled and nodded.

"I'll take the big guy with the parrot on his shoulder!" He said, pointing to Gold.

"ZEFFIE IS NOT A PARROT!" Zeffie shouted.

Suddenly, the shadows in the cave behind the other duelists began to shift! Mako, Celeste, Zeffie, and Gold all let out a shout of surprise as a riptide of darkness pulled them into the cave!

Brian and Tim dashed in, nodded to each other, and then ran to opposite sides of the chamber.

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Celeste and Mako stood back to back, watching out for one of the two Hokage brothers.

"You see anything yet?" Mako asked.

"No, but let's shed some light on the subject." Celeste said with a smile, "**Darkness Piercing Light**!"

She held out her hand, and about two thousand tiny points of light began to float around the room.

Celeste smiled as she saw Brian run up, trying to bat away some of the lights that were clinging to his clothes.

Brian looked up and gulped as he realized he had been spotted.

"Oh boy…" Brian muttered as Mako pointed at him.

"**Torrential Tribute!"** Mako yelled!

A huge blast of water launched from his finger tip, right toward his former comrade!

Brian dove to the right, narrowly avoiding the blast of sea water, and gathered an orb of shadows around his right hand.

"My turn!" Brian called out, holding his hand over his head, **"Darkness Approaches!"**

A wave of darkness poured from his palm, smothering all of the tiny lights Celeste had created.

Mako shivered slightly as the shadows washed over him.

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In the meantime, Zeffie and Gold were staring down Tim, none of them daring to make a move.

Finally Zeffie pointed right at Tim, gathering a miniature tornado in front of her.

"This is boring!" Zeffie complained, **"Mystical Space Typhoon!"**

The tornado shot right toward Tim, who spun out of the way and gathered fire around both hands!

"**Fire Darts!"** Tim shouted as he tossed hundreds of tiny fireballs at his opponents!

Gold smiled as he slammed one fist against the ground, and a crack appeared in the earth in front of him!

"Guess again," He shouted, **"Grave Shield!"**

A huge stonewall burst out of the crack, and the fireballs exploded harmlessly against it.

Tim swore under his breath, and then gasped as he saw Zeffie jump over the wall with another tornado gathered in front of her…

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"Did you get him?" Celeste shouted to Mako as she created an orb of light in her hand.

"No I…ARGHH!" Mako screamed from the shadows!

Celeste looked worried as she held the light over her head.

"Mako?" She asked.

Mako jerkily walked into the light around Celeste, his eyes glazed over slightly as he pointed at her.

Celeste dove to the side as Mako launched a blast of pressurized water right at her!

"What the heck! Mako it's me!" Celeste yelled.

"I…know…he's…controlling…me!" Mako choked out.

"What's the matter Celeste?" Brian taunted from the shadows, "Didn't know about the **Puppet Magic of Dark Ruler**?"

Celeste looked closely, and saw that a series of black threads were attached to Mako.

"Okay, if that's the way you wanna play…" Celeste said pointing at the ceiling, "Sorry Mako! **Lightning Vortex!"**

Mako and Brian both screamed as bolts of electricity shot down from the ceiling, severing the threads! The two of them were highlighted by sparks dancing across their forms, which quickly faded away. Mako fell to his knees moaning as wisps of smoke rose from his body, and Celeste smiled as she heard Brian do the same.

"Cheap…shot." Brian shouted.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!" Mako yelled as got to his feet.

"He's over there." Celeste said, pointing to where she had heard Brian's voice.

Mako turned toward the shadows and smiled.

"Well alright then! **Big Wave, Small Wave!**" He shouted, waving his arms.

A huge tidal wave blasted forward, and Brian screamed as he was pinned against the wall! A second smaller wave washed him out into the light and a series of puddles appeared all over the floor.

"Got him!" Mako cheered.

"Yeah, but now, unless I'm feeling suicidal, I can't use any of my electric techniques!" Celeste fumed

"Yeah, but I got him." Mako grinned.

Brian just lay still, facedown on the ground.

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Zeffie smiled as she tossed another tornado at Tim.

Suddenly, the air around Tim rippled, and he shot upward on a blast of heated air!

"Drat!" Zeffie shouted as Tim flew slightly above her.

"Better watch out cause I'm hot like fire!" Tim called out as a huge fireball appeared over his head, **"Meteor of Destruction!"**

Tim threw the fiery orb down with both hands. The fireball went blazing down toward Zeffie, who quickly dove back down behind Gold!

"Do something!" Zeffie screamed.

Gold glared at Tim as two huge plates of stone appeared on his arms!

"Sakuretsu Armor!" He yelled, holding up the stone plates like a pair of shields! 

The fireball ran into the plates, and Gold began to push back against the powerful spell.

"Come on, Come on!" Tim prayed.

No such luck. Gold let out a huge roar and, with a Herculean burst of strength, sent the fireball back toward the ceiling.

Tim quickly dropped back to the ground, an aura of flames surrounding his body.

"Try this!" He challenged as he turned the palm of his hand toward his opponents, **"Ookazi!"**

A wave of fire shot toward Gold, but this time Zeffie jumped in front of him!

"Oh no you don't!" She yelled as a blast of wind split the flames in two different directions, **"Tornado Wall!"**

Tim silently cursed again, when the ground began to shake beneath him!

"**Fissure!"** Gold shouted, driving his fist into the stone floor beneath him.

Tim screamed as a huge crack opened beneath him, and he fell through the floor.

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In the meantime, Yugi and the others were running through the cave. The three of them had been making their way through the twisting tunnels, occasionally glancing over their shoulder at the sounds of the battle they had escaped.

"You sure we should have left them behind?" Yugi asked.

"And just what do you think you were going to do to help?" Kaiba asked, "In case you failed to notice, those aren't holograms they're using!"

"Let's just keep moving, alright?" Joey suggested as they all continued running.

They finally entered a large chamber, about the size of a living room. The floors, ceiling, and walls were all completely smooth and polished, with torches placed every twenty feet or so. On the far side of the chamber was a black throne, and sitting in the throne was…

"Serenity!" Joey shouted, staring at his sister.

In the throne was Joey's younger sister. She was still wearing her denim shorts and pink t-shirt, along with a deck case strapped to the waist band of her shorts, and she had a strange look in her eyes. She smiled sweetly at her brother, and got to her feet.

"What are you doing here?" Joey asked as he walked up to her, "How did you get here?"

"I owe that my new friend." Serenity explained, as she held out her right arm.

She was wearing a duel disk, loaded with cards!

"New frien…Celeste." Joey realized as he stared at the disk.

"Close, but no cigar Joey." Serenity said as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, showing off her hair clip, "Lord Needlez is the one who finally opened my eyes to the truth."

"The truth?" Yugi gasped.

"That I don't need my 'big brother' anymore." Serenity sneered, "And to prove it, I'm going to beat him in a duel, here and now!"

"You can't be serious." Joey gasped, "Serenity…"

"Save it!" Serenity snapped as she activated her disk, "Now turn on your disk and let's duel!"

Joey stood there, mouth wide open.

"If you don't duel me, I could call in Needlez or one of the Elemental Duelists and have them force you to do it." Serenity growled, holding out her hand as if to snap her fingers, "Trust me, you'd prefer it if you just agreed now."

Joey looked back toward the others. Yugi just shrugged helplessly, as did Kaiba. Joey looked at the duel disk that was still strapped to his own arm. He sighed, and activated it…

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Mako looked at Brian's prone form and gently nudged it with his foot.

"Hey are you all right?" He asked turning the dark duelist over.

Suddenly, Brian's body melted into shadows and vanished!

"WHAT!" Mako yelled as Celeste went on high alert,

"**Physical Double.** Endlessly useful technique that one." Brian laughed as he walked out of the nearby shadows.

"Why you…" Mako started before Brian cut him off.

"**Shadow Spell!"** Brian yelled, pointing at the ocean duelist.

A series of chains launched forward, strapping Mako to the wall! Mako screamed and struggled against the bindings, but to no avail.

"Just us now." Brian said as he turned to Celeste.

Celeste nodded and held out one hand.

"**Lightforce Sword!"** She shouted.

A sword of pure light appeared in her hand, and she swung it at Brian's head!

"**Sword of Dark Destruction!" **Brian answered, holding his own hand out.

A thin red sword appeared in his hand and he quickly parried Celeste's attack!

The two of them swung at each other again, this time their blades crossing as they tried to force their way through the others defenses.

"If you hadn't pulled a Benedict Arnold we wouldn't have to do this!" Celeste muttered as she gasped for air.

"The same applies if the four of you would just think for yourselves instead of letting Needlez control you!" Brian responded through clenched teeth.

The two stepped back from each other, Celeste raising up her free hand to launch a Solar Ray, but Brian was a hair faster.

"**Bark of Dark Ruler!"** He shouted, waving his arm in a wide arc.

A wave of black energy flew forward, knocking Celeste to the ground!

As she started to get up, Brian plunged his sword into the ground next to her head.

"I don't want to hurt you." Brian said, "Now, how about we act like civilized beings and talk this out. Or would rather I tie you up like Mako?"

Celeste looked over to Mako who was panting from the effort of trying to escape the chains.

"I feel chatty." Celeste said.

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Gold looked down into the crack Tim had fallen into.

"Is he dead?" He asked.

"I dunno." Zeffie said, looking down into the fissure from the opposite side.

Suddenly, a quiet voice from the bottom shouted something.

"What did he say?" Gold asked.

"Sounded like **Dragon's Gunfire."** Zeffie answered, a terrified look crossing her face, "Uh-oh…"

A series of fireballs launched from the crevice as Tim burst out of the hole on a wave of heated air, aiming his hands at Gold and Zeffie.

"**KURENAI!"** Tim shouted as the flames gathered around his wrists.

Two huge gouts of flame shot toward the other two duelists, and each of them quickly raised a barrier of their own element to defend themselves. The force of the flames, however, pushed both of them backward, and in opposite directions.

Tim landed on the ground and Gold slammed one arm against a near by wall. A series of spikes immediately burst from the stone, and aimed toward the fire duelist.

"**Needle Wall!"** He called out as the spikes rocketed towards Tim.

Tim casually flicked his wrist, creating a barrier of fire. The needles stuck it, and exploded into shard of rock on impact.

Tim smiled as he stepped toward Gold, generating a fiery aura around himself, when the flames went out! Tim choked and fell to the ground gasping for air!

"What…the…" Tim muttered.

"Zeffie wants to tell you something she learned in school." Zeffie giggled, aiming her hands toward her foe, "Fire needs oxygen to burn. So Zeffie got rid of most of the oxygen around you so you can't hurt us!"

"Nice one Zef!" Gold cheered.

"Now to end this!" Zeffie shouted as a wave of air appeared in front of her, "Take this!"

Zeffie fired a blast of air shaped like a scythe right at her helpless opponent.

"Ba…" Tim whispered.

"We win!" Zeffie cheered as the blast hit!

Suddenly a huge bonfire filled the area around them! Zeffie and Gold screamed as the heat forced them to the ground. The air scythe was quickly dispersed by the expanding heat blast.

Tim stood up as Zeffie's spell vanished. He took several deep breaths, and turned toward his opponents. Both of them were lying on the ground nearby, covered in soot and ashes.

"You should have listened." Tim panted, "I said **Backfire!"**

"Ouch." Zeffie and Gold said in unison.

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Serenity and Joey both pulled their first five cards off their respective decks. Serenity smiled a wicked smile as she picked up her sixth one.

"I think that I'll go first." Serenity declared, fanning her cards in front of her.

Serenity: 8000

Joey: 8000

Serenity deftly slid a card into her disk, and a swirling vortex appeared in front of her.

"I open with Polymerization." Serenity declared as she slid two cards into her graveyard, "And I choose to fuse my Humanoid Slime with my Worm Drake!"

Two monsters appeared in front of her. One was a scaly green serpent, with a set of powerful jaws. The second was a man shaped blob of water wearing yellow armor. Serenity pulled a card from the deck case at her waist, and placed it on the disk. Both monsters were consumed by the vortex, and in their place materialized a creature that looked like a winged serpent made of green liquid.

"Together, they form the Humanoid Worm Drake (2200/2000)!" Serenity announced as she placed another card into her disk, "And I also play the spell card: Branch!"

A large hole appeared in the ground behind the Worm Drake, and Serenity smiled.

"Your move Joey." She stated.

Joey drew his sixth card, and looked over his hand with a frown.

"_I can't risk hurting Serenity." _He thought as he took a card from his hand, _"Best if I just defend."_

"I'll set one card facedown, and set a monster in defense mode." Joey stated as he placed two cards into his disk, "And that's my turn."

Two cards appeared in front of Joey. Serenity just laughed as she drew her third card.

"What's wrong Joey, scared that you might hurt me?" Serenity taunted, "I'd be more worried about yourself."

The girl placed another card onto her disk. A loud war cry echoed through the cave as a soldier in black armor jumped in front of Serenity. He wielded a large sword, and had a black head band.

"Say hello to Warrior Dai Grepher (1700/1600)." Serenity said with a smile, "And now, my Worm Drake will attack your facedown monster!"

The watery creature dove forward, and Joey's monster turned over. It was a scaly reptilian monster, carrying a sword and shield. The monster screamed as it shattered into thousands of fragments.

"Alligator Sword (1500/1200)?" Serenity scoffed, "Pathetic. Dai Grepher, attack him directly!"

The soldier jumped forward, and swung his sword toward Joey. The blond let out a cry of pain, as the blade drew across his chest, and he stumbled backwards.

Serenity: 8000

Joey: 6300

Joey straightened up, and Serenity smirked.

"End turn." She said, with a wave of her hand.

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Back in the entrance chamber, the shadows slowly receded. Tim looked up from Zeffie and Gold (who were both lying prone on the ground, their clothes relatively unharmed, but their bodies covered in patches of red skin. Clearly their own powers had protected them to some degree.), and smiled as he saw his brother stepped forward. Celeste was right behind him, and Mako was being dragged in chains by the dark duelist. Mako had obviously decided that struggling was futile, and sat patiently as Brian released his grip on the chains.

"That will teach them to mess with the amazing dueling Hokage brothers, eh?" Tim smirked as he and Brian high-fived.

"Amazing dueling Hokage brothers?" Gold groaned as he sat up.

"It's what we called ourselves when we started dueling." Brian explained.

"How did Timmy make such a big boom?" Zeffie moaned as she leaned against Gold.

"It's a concept known as a 'firestorm.'" Tim explained, turning to Zeffie, "I learned about it in history class. In World War 2, during fire bomb raids on Tokyo, the fire would consume all the oxygen in the air nearby. But when a strong wind carried more oxygen into the area, it would ignite what was left of the fire bomb and begin a new blaze."

"I could make a joke about how history repeats itself, but I think I'd better save my energy for healing you two." Celeste stated as her hands began to glow with a silver aura, "**Soul of the Pure!"**

A silver aura surrounded Zeffie and Gold, and the redness faded away. As the two started to get up however, Brian held out his hands. Hands of shadow reached from the floor, and locked onto the earth and wind duelists ankles, as well as Celeste's.

"What the!" Zeffie shouted, tugging at the bonds.

"Just need to be sure that I have your attention." Brian assured them, "You guys have to listen to me, Needlez has been using us."

"May I be the first to say...DUH!" Tim exclaimed.

"You have proof, I assume." Gold muttered as he cracked his large knuckles.

"Come on Gold, doesn't Needlez story strike you as amazingly odd?" Brian asked, turning to the much larger person.

"Like how?" Gold grumbled.

"Usually in old stories like the one Needlez told us, there's a good reason that something is sealed away." Celeste stated as she looked toward Brian, "Am I warm?"

"Red hot." Brian confirmed with a nod, "Needlez wasn't trying to save the world, he wanted to rule it! And he used us as his pawns so he could get a second chance in our time."

"Got any better proof?" Mako yelled, "That's nothing but some random theory!"

Brian pointed at Mako's crystal.

"If Needlez trusted us so much, then how come he didn't tell us how we could remove the crystals?" Brian pointed out, "And what about how you all acted in your recent duels?"

Zeffie, Mako, Gold, and Celeste all shuddered a bit. Images of the last two days flashed through their minds, of them threatening opponents, stoically sacrificing their favorite monsters, and furiously pounding on their foes.

"Would someone who truly has our best interests at heart give us jewels that make us act like that?" Brian continued.

"There's no proof the crystals did it!" Gold protested as his bracelet began to shine.

"Let's think." Tim said, grabbing Gold's wrist and showing the gem, "Crystal doesn't glow, your fine. Crystal starts glowing, you get a bit agitated. Crystal really glows, and…well let's face it, you lose any control you retained after it started."

Gold took several deep breaths, and everyone watched as his crystal's light faded away.

"None of us took up dueling to try and recreate the world." Brian stated, "That was just an idea Needlez put in our heads. My duel with Joey reminded me of what truly mattered to me. My desire to show that darkness can be good set me free from Needlez control. Think back to why you each started…"

Zeffie smiled as she reached up to her circlet.

"Zeffie was bored with regular card games, then the other kids at school started playing Duel Monsters." She explained, "Zeffie thought it looked like fun, so she started playing too. It took a while, but soon Zeffie could kick all their butts! Zeffie played because it was fun…"

Zeffie slid her circlet off, and a card floated out of her deck, and touched the ground. Seeing this, Mako cautiously laid one hand on his anklet.

"When my father went missing, the only thing I wanted to do was get a boat so I could try to find him." He muttered, his voice slowly gaining strength, "I've learned much in my time playing this game, and I've come close to achieving my dream on a few occasions. But the people I've met through this game have helped me as well. Each one I faced made me stronger, helping me prepare for the day when I can truly begin my search…"

The anklet clicked, and Mako easily removed it. A single card fluttered from his own deck as Gold grabbed his bracelet.

"Too be honest, I just did it for the money." He sighed, "After my wife divorced me, and got custody of our daughter, I had a little trouble making the child support payments. But then I picked up this card game, and started winning a few bucks at the tournament. I finally found a job that wasn't boring, and I even met Zeffie at one of the tourneys I went to…"

Zeffie giggled, and hugged Gold around his waist as his bracelet was removed. Like the others, one card fell from his deck, and Celeste began to tug on her ring.

"After an incident in my family, I had a hard time making friends." Celeste stated, "So, when I started dueling I managed to make a whole bunch of friends, including you guys. But I guess I haven't acted much like a good friend lately…"

The ring slid off, and another card fell. Tim grasped his manacle and smiled.

"I like burning things, and my family didn't like the potential destruction I could cause." He stated, "So I built a fire deck and scorched monsters instead of material possessions. That, and it was something my brother and I had in common."

The manacle slid off easily, and a fifth card floated to the ground. Brian removed his necklace once again, not noticing as a card fell out of the sidedeck in his pocket.

"Now then, I know we just took our crystals off, but what do you guys say we show Needlez that you don't mess with a duelist without getting messed with yourself?" He offered.

With a wave of Brian's hand, the shadows holding the others faded away. Everyone nodded, put the crystals back on, and quickly left the chamber, heading deeper into the cave. As they left, the six cards on the floor glowed, and vanished into pools of blue-green light.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joey pulled a new card from his deck, and looked over his hand.

"All right Serenity, I set one monster in defense mode." Joey declared as he laid another card onto his disk, "And I'll also play Dangerous Machine Type 6!"

A new facedown card appeared. Then, the ground trembled as a large machine with six windows rose from the cave floor. It was made of strange green metal, and occasionally let out a whirring noise.

"I'm not your enemy Serenity, I don't want to hurt you." Joey explained as he tapped the end turn button on his disk, "But I'll do what it takes to save you! Now make your move."

"You got it." Serenity stated as she drew, "And since you didn't activate that facedown last turn, I bet it's just a bluff."

The brown haired girl placed another card onto her disk. Another bellow filled the cave, and out of the corner leapt a large Minotaur wearing red armor, and carrying a large ax! He stared down Joey, and bellowed again, stamping his hoof against the ground.

"Battle Ox (1700/1000) should be able to handle you." Serenity smirked as she placed another card into her spell slot, "And if you think I'm going to waste an attack against your facedown monster, you can guess again. I activate Tribute to the Doomed, destroying your facedown monster by discarding one card from my hand!"

Serenity slid a card into her graveyard, and a flurry of white bandages shot forward. They flew toward Joey's monster, which turned over to reveal a golden cat statue. As the linens wrapped around it, a flurry of gold flew forward! Serenity gasped as her monsters all dropped to their knees to collect the treasure.

"What happened?" Serenity gasped.

"You destroyed my Neko Mane King (0/0)!" Joey declared as held up a card that had a picture of a golden cat statue on it, "When you destroy this monster with a spell, trap, or monster effect, your turn immediately ends."

"Fine, your turn." Serenity scowled, "But don't think you're off the hook!"

"You got it." Joey said as he drew, "And now that it's my turn, my Dangerous Machine goes to work. It will pick a number between one and six, and, depending on what comes up, something special will happen."

The machine began to whine, and the six windows began to flash. The numbers one through six appeared in each window in rapid succession and the machine began to sputter and spark. Finally, the machine fell silent, and each of the windows displayed a three.

"All right!" Joey cheered as he drew again, "A three lets me draw one more card."

"And this happens during each of your turns?" Serenity guessed.

"Yep." Joey said with a grim smile.

"Fair enough." Serenity shrugged, "Your luck won't hold out forever."

"_I just need it to hold until I can get my sister back."_ Joey thought as he placed another card on his disk.

"I summon Goblin Attack Force (2300/0)." Joey announced.

A quartet of green goblins, wearing armor and carrying a variety of swords and clubs appeared on the field. They excitedly clanged their weapons, staring down Serenity's creatures.

"Goblins, attack her Worm Drake!" Joey ordered.

The goblins surged forward, slamming their weapons against the aquatic creature. It roared in pain, and shattered into fragments. The goblins then stumbled backward and fell to their knees.

Serenity: 7900

Joey: 6300

"Of course, now my monsters go to defense mode." Joey explained, "But I got rid of one of your strongest monsters…"

Joey was interrupted as a howl echoed from the hole near Serenity. The howling grew louder, and then a man shaped blob of water wearing yellow armor jumped out! It crossed its arms, and settled to the ground in front of Serenity.

"What the heck!" Joey exclaimed, "What gives?"

"Now you know what my Branch spell does." Serenity said as she gestured to her monster, "Whenever a fusion monster is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I can special summon one of its components back. In this case, I chose my Humanoid Slime (800/2000) to come back in defense mode."

"Why would you even have a spell like that?" Joey asked, "That's only useful as long as you use fusion monsters."

"You mean like these?" Serenity asked as she pulled a thick stack of purpled bordered cards from her deck case.

Yugi's eyes widened at the sight of the cards. Joey drew back a bit, and Kaiba's eyes narrowed in concern.

"There has to be at least forty cards there!" Yugi exclaimed, "They can't all be fusion monsters, can they?"

"Actually, they are." Serenity explained as she placed the cards back, "My deck has been built to bring in some of the deadliest fusion monsters in existence!"

Joey gulped as Serenity pointed at him.

"And guess what Joey, they're all going to be gunning for you!" Serenity threatened, "Now then, are you done with your turn?"

Joey nodded, and Serenity drew a new card. She smiled as she saw what it was.

"I activate, Pot of Greed." She declared as she placed the card in her disk.

A green pot appeared in front of her, and Serenity snapped two cards from her deck. The pot then vanished with a wicked laugh. Serenity smiled as she slid another card into her disk.

"I summon the Earth Hex Sealed Fusion (1500/1600)." Serenity declared.

A new monster appeared, this one resembling a large chunk of rocks and minerals. It had several valuable looking gems sticking out of its body, and it was pulsing with strange energy as the seal appeared on its front.

"With this monster, I can summon a fusion monster of earth easily." Serenity stated as she removed it and another card from her disk, "I just sacrifice it, and the other monster that I need to complete the fusion."

The rocky monster floated over to the Battle Ox. Immediately, a second vortex began to swirl behind her monsters. The two monsters vanished into it. Serenity swapped the cards on her disk with one from her fusion deck. A new monster emerged from the swirling portal. The top half of its body looked like the Battle Ox, but below the waist it looked like a horse. It still carried the hand ax, and it let out a terrifying bellow.

"Now they're Rabid Horseman (2000/1700)!" Serenity announced, "And it's time to attack. Warrior Dai Grepher, you're on!"

The warrior let out another battle cry and jumped forward. With one clean slice, he cut every one of the goblins in half! They vanished in a shower of sparks.

"Rabid Horseman, attack him directly!" Serenity ordered with a sweep of her hand.

"I don't think so, I activate my trap card: A Hero Emerges!" Joey shouted.

The facedown card lifted, revealing the image of Zombyra the Dark striking a dramatic pose. Rabid Horseman stopped, and stared at the card.

"Now you choose a random card in my hand, and if it's a monster, I can summon it." Joey declared as he spread his hand.

Serenity looked over the three cards, and pointed toward one of them.

"I choose the one in the middle." She declared.

"Good choice." Joey nodded as he pulled the card from his hand, "You picked my Jinzo (2400/1500), which means I can summon it!"

Joey placed the card from his disk, and the trap spun around. Attached to the other side was an android in green armor, with glowing red eyes. Its gaze turned toward the Rabid Horseman, who whinnied nervously.

"Activating that trap triggered a restart." Serenity sneered, "So I call off my attack. Your move Joey."

Joey drew, and his machine began to whir again. The numbers flashed by, faster and faster, until a four lit up in each window. Joey frowned as Serenity's deck began to glow.

"What does a four do?" Serenity asked with a frown.

"A four lets you draw a card, so go on." Joey sighed, "Just remember who did it for ya, okay?"

Serenity beamed as she slipped a card off of her deck. Her eyes settled on it, and she smiled even bigger.

"I think she may have drawn something good." Yugi muttered.

"What was your first clue?" Kaiba griped, "Wheeler better not screw this up."

"All right Serenity, you ready?" Joey called out as he pointed at her monster, "I attack your horseman with Jinzo! Cyber shock attack!"

Jinzo cupped his hands, and an orb of black energy appeared in them. He threw it forward, and it plowed right into the Mino-horse. The creature roared, and shattered into pixels. As it vanished though, the hole let out a howl as Serenity took a card from her graveyard. She placed it on her disk, and the Battle Ox (1700/1000) appeared in front of her again, hefting its ax.

"I decided to bring my Battle Ox back in attack mode." Serenity declared, "What do you think of that?"

Joey stared at the card, and carefully slid another card from his hand into his disk.

"I lay this card facedown, and end my turn." Joey declared as it appeared in front of him, "Now what are you up to?"

"I'll show you." Serenity smiled as she drew.

She took a card from her hand, and her field slot opened up. She reached down to place a card in, but as she did the Elemental Duelists entered the chamber. They were all wearing their crystals again, but the gems weren't glowing like they had before. Celeste stopped short as she saw Serenity.

"Serenity?" Celeste gasped, "What are you doing?"

"Exactly what Lord Needlez wants me to do." Serenity declared as she placed a card in her field zone.

A circle of green letters was emblazoned on the ground around Serenity and Joey. Yugi's eyes widened in horror as he recognized the circle.

Brian, Mako, and Gold all charged forward. But as they reached the circle, a pulse of energy knocked them all back! A second pulse lashed out, knocking Yugi, Zeffie, Tim, Kaiba, and Celeste down as well. In the center of the circle, appeared a green, eight-pointed star. A wall of blue-green light finally appeared around the two competitors.

"I play…The Seal of Orichalcos!" Serenity declared as her forehead was marked by a smaller image of the seal.

Joey gaped in horror at the circle around him. He opened his mouth, but it snapped shut again. He opened again, and a choking noise came out.

"What's wrong Joey, you speechless for once?" Serenity snickered, "I guess you would be. It's not everyday you face a spell that gives your opponent almost limitless power. For starters, each of my monsters gains 500 attack points."

The three monsters in front of Serenity began to growl and scream. On each of their foreheads appeared a miniature seal, and their eyes (for those that had them) began to glow red. Warrior Dai Grepher (2200/1600) brandished his blade with malevolent gusto. The Battle Ox (2200/1000) began to pant, with smoke pouring from his nostrils. Humanoid Slime (1300/2000) was least affected, though it was hard for a faceless blob of goop to express any emotion.

"And now, I activate my second Polymerization!" Serenity declared as she placed the spell in her disk, "And I'm fusing Warrior Dai Grepher with the Spirit Ryu in my hand."

A new vortex appeared, and a small blue dragon floated through it, followed by the Warrior Dai Grepher. Serenity pulled another card from her case, and slammed it onto her disk. In place of Dai Grepher appeared a man who looked a lot like the warrior. Except now, he wore a hood made of a scaly, purple hide. He also carried what appeared to be two swords joined at the hilt. The front of the hood was imprinted with the seal, and the warrior's eyes began to glow with malevolent red energy.

"Meet Ryu Senshi (2500/1200)." Serenity declared, "He's more than a match for your monster, watch. Senshi, destroy Jinzo with dragon soul sword!"

Ryu Senshi's double sword was immediately engulfed in red flames. He jumped forward, and swung his weapon through Jinzo! The machine type let out a high pitched beeping noise, and then exploded.

Serenity: 7900

Joey: 6200

The others, in the meantime, got back to their feet. Brian cautiously walked up to the seal, and pressed one hand against it. A flash of green light burst from the seal, and Brian let out a yelp of pain as he stumbled backward.

"What is this thing?" He shouted, "It sort of reminds me of the elemental seals but…"

"It's the Seal of Orichalcos." Yugi said fearfully as he stepped up to it, "But this is impossible. All copies of this card were destroyed, it shouldn't exist anymore!"

"Apparently, one survived." Tim stated.

"What, this thing takes talent like our seals did?" Gold asked as he rubbed a bump on his head.

"Worse." Yugi said, "It takes the loser's soul."

"But…Needlez said he wasn't going to have Serenity duel." Celeste muttered, "He said that she was only going to be a bartering chip to force Joey to leave…"

"That was before ye all went turncoat." Needlez accented voice echoed.

Looking toward Serenity, everyone gasped as Needlez stepped out of a doorway from behind her (one that had been isolated from the rest of the room by the seal). He had changed out of his business suit, and now wore white robes and golden jewelry. The pocket watch hung on a silver chain around his neck, and he had a heavy golden bracelet on each wrist. He clutched an ornately carved wooden staff in his left hand, and strapped to his right wrist just behind the bracelet was a duel disk.

"I honestly thought ye could handle things, but since I was wrong I had to resort to plan b." Needlez said as he gestured to Serenity, "Now wee Serenity will have to take care of Joseph, so that way the pharaoh can duel me undisturbed."

The Millennium Puzzle flashed, and Yugi's face filled with a terrible look of rage. He lunged forward, and pounded his fist against the seal.

"NEEDLEZ, YOU LYING SCUMBAG!" Yami roared, "HOW DARE YOU ATTACK MY FRIEND IN SUCH A COWARDLY MANNER! PUT A STOP TO THIS RIGHT NOW AND FACE ME IF THAT'S WHAT YOU DESIRE!"

"Now Pharaoh, ye know as well as I that the Seal of Orichalcos can't be removed once it has been played." Needlez yawned, "But enjoy yer friend's last duel, it's sure to be a real killer."

"Why you…" Mako growled as a group of crystals crackled around his hand, "Take this: Frozen Soul!"

Mako threw a punch, and a blast of sharp icicles flew right at the evil mastermind. Needlez just laughed as the crystals shattered against the seal's wall, and turned his back on the group.

"Serenity, ye have me full permission to due whatever is necessary to defeat Joey." Needlez ordered as he walked away, "And afterwards, be sure that none of those traitors git through."

"Yes Lord Needlez." Serenity declared as she saluted to him.

"Serenity…" Joey gasped, finally finding his voice.

"What's wrong Joey, afraid to lose to your little sister?" Serenity taunted, "Afraid that I might be tougher than you thought, that maybe I don't need you anymore?"

Joey fell silent, and Serenity pointed at him.

"Battle Ox, attack him with battle ax slam!" Serenity ordered.

The Minotaur charged forward, raising his ax over his head. Joey almost unconsciously tapped a button on his disk, and his facedown card turned over. Four little multi-colored sheep jumped up in front of him, and the blue one was struck down. The other three goats stared at where their brother had stood, and quickly dove behind Joey with bleats of fear.

"Your Scapegoats card, eh?" Serenity sneered again, "You don't know when to quit. Nothing more I can do though, so it's your turn."

Joey drew his card, his senses slowly returning. The goats floated out from behind Joey, and stepped in front of him. He looked over to Serenity, his eyes wide. The machine began to spin and whir, but Joey didn't seem to care.

"Serenity, we have to end this duel with a tie." Joey said calmly, "And we have to do it quickly."

"What are you talking about?" Serenity glowered, "Why should I have to tie with you?"

"This card you just played is dangerous Serenity." Joey continued, "It's going to take the loser's soul."

"So what?" Serenity laughed.

"You knew?" Joey gasped, "You knew but you played it anyway?"

"Yep." Serenity nodded, "And I did it all to prove that I don't need you anymore. Now you'll see just how much stronger I've become since we were kids! So don't hold back on my account, let's duel!"

The machine suddenly let out a loud clang. Both duelists looked over at it, and saw that each of the windows now displayed a five. The machine began to buzz, and a mechanical arm carrying a chainsaw came out of the side!

"What's it doing?" Serenity gasped.

"On a five, I get to destroy one monster on your side of the field." Joey explained, "So I'll get rid of Battle Ox."

The chainsaw roared, and tore forward, slamming into the Minotaur's chest! The monster roared and vanished in a blast of sparks. Serenity gasped and drew back in fright, then sneered.

"Not a good move Joey, you could have destroyed Ryu Senshi." She pointed out.

"If I did that, your Branch card would have called one of the pieces back." Joey explained, "At least this way, my goats will last a bit longer."

He quickly slid one card into his disk, and a new facedown card appeared.

"Until then, I lay this card facedown and end my turn." Joey declared.

"_Needlez must be controlling Serenity's mind."_ Joey reasoned, _"I'll have to force this duel to a tie, 'cause she probably won't do it herself."_

"You may think that you saved yourself, but you're wrong." Serenity stated as she drew and placed the card into her disk, "I activate Card of Sanctity. Now we each draw until we hold six cards."

Serenity drew six times, and Joey frowned as he only drew three.

"I sacrifice Humanoid Slime to summon Berfomet (1900/1800) in attack mode!" Serenity

Serenity switched cards on her disk, and the slime man vanished. In its place appeared a red furred monster with large yellow ram horns. A pair of white wings extended from its back, and it had four pairs of arms. In one of its hands was a card, which it handed to Serenity.

"Berfomet? I have that card in my deck!" Yami gasped, as Yugi projected next to him.

"_And that means Serenity got to add Gazelle to her hand!"_ Yugi shouted, _"And that means…"_

Serenity slid another card into her disk, and then pulled a new card from her fusion deck, and discarded the card she had received and Berfomet. Another portal began to swirl behind her monsters, and a four-legged creature that resembled a lion with a long horn jumped through, followed by Berfomet.

"I activate my last Polymerization card to fuse Berfomet with Gazelle and summon Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast (2600/1800)!" Serenity shouted.

From the portal flew a monster that looked like a two headed lion! It had horns on each head, and a large pair of feathery wings extended from its back. It let out a ferocious roar as a seal appeared on each of its heads, and turned toward Joey. Joey instinctively drew back.

"Chimera, destroy his yellow goat with terrible maul!" Serenity ordered.

The beast growled, and lunged forward, when Joey's facedown card lifted. A strange box appeared, and a pair of grabber arms extended from it.

"Sorry Serenity, but I activate Magic Arm Shield." Joey announced as he pointed to Ryu Senshi, "Now I can intercept your attack with one of your monsters, and I choose the dragon guy!"

The arms extended toward Ryu Senshi, who drew back in fear.

"Oh do you now?" Serenity asked, "Ryu, use your special ability!"

The warrior's weapon ignited again, and he swung it out at the arms. The arms shattered, followed by the box, and then Joey's yellow goat as Chimera's jaws closed around it.

Serenity: 6900

Joey: 6200

"How did you do that?" Joey gasped, "My trap should have stopped you!"

"But it didn't thanks to Ryu Senshi." Serenity laughed, "He can negate any normal trap card if I pay 1000 life points. And don't bother trying to target him with spell cards, because those just don't work on him. Now Senshi, attack the green goat!"

The warrior jumped forward, swinging his flaming blade through the bleating token. Joey raised his arms to block bits of ash that flew towards his face, and was silently thankful the goats were still in defense mode. The loan red goat bleated sadly, and trembled in fear.

"You're move Joey." Serenity said with a giggle and a wave.

Joey drew, and the dangerous machine began to whir again. The numbers flashed by, until a one lit up in every window.

"Oh-no!" Joey gasped.

"Joey, what does a one do?" Zeffie shouted from outside the seal.

A mechanical hand leapt from the machine, and yanked a card out of Joey's hand. It quickly stuffed the card into his graveyard, and then retracted back into the machine. Joey shot a glare at Zeffie, who backed away from the seal.

"Um…Nevermind." Zeffie muttered sheepishly.

Zeffie ducked behind Celeste, who looked away as Joey glared at her. Joey just drew his card and looked at it.

"I summon Swordsman of Landstar (500/1200) in attack mode, plus lay one facedown." He stated as he placed two cards on his disk, "And that's my turn."

A strange creature that looked like a kid from a cartoon show jumped onto the field. He wore brown armor, and carried a sword and shield. Behind him appeared a facedown card.

"You really are getting desperate, aren't you?" Serenity taunted as she drew.

She slid a card into her disk, and a replica of it appeared in front of her. It showed a picture of Dark Ruler Ha Des standing at the very top of what appeared to be a large chart. Below him were several lines, branching toward other fiendish looking creatures.

"What is that?" Tim asked as he stared at the card.

"It's Feudalism." Serenity explained as she began to search through her deck, "I can only use it if there is a field spell in play. It lets me choose any other field spell I want from my deck, and play it as though it were a continuous spell card instead!"

"What!" Gold gasped, "But that means she can get the bonuses of two field spells at once!"

"Exactly." Serenity agreed as she pulled a card from her deck and placed it into her disk, "And the other field I choose is Fusion Gate."

Behind Serenity rose a green archway. Inside the arch was a mysterious orb of green energy. The Feudalism card began to hover above the gate, glowing with green light. Serenity smiled and slid two more cards into her pocket, taking one from her fusion deck as she did.

"Now I can fuse monsters without Polymerization, just by removing them from play. So I'll fuse my Roboyarou with Robolady to summon Super Robolady (1700/500) in attack mode." Serenity announced as she placed the fusion monster on her disk.

Behind her appeared two figures. One was a robotic woman made of pink metal, and second was a robotic man made of blue metal. The two of them stepped through the fusion gate, and it lit up with a burst of green light. From the gate, emerged a new figure. It was a robotic woman in purple armor, wearing a red visor, and carrying a dangerous looking lance in her right hand.

"And you'll be happy to hear that Super Robolady gains 1000 attack points if she attacks your life points directly." Serenity giggled as the seal appeared on her new monster's forehead, "So first, Ryu Senshi, destroy the last goat!"

The armored warrior leapt forward, swinging his blazing weapon. The last goat bleated in terror, and shattered as the sword struck it.

"Chimera, attack his swordsman!" Serenity ordered.

Chimera growled in response, and launched itself forward. As it did, Joey tapped a button on his disk.

"I activate my facedown card…" He started.

"Joey wait!" Brian yelled, "Ryu Senshi negates traps, remember?"

Joey looked at Serenity, who just shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'll let you get away with it this time." She yawned, "I really don't feel like paying the life points."

The trap lifted, and Chimera let out a howl of pain. Serenity stopped in mid-yawn, as Chimera spat a silver coin from one of its mouths, and moaned as it meandered to his master.

"What the heck happened?" Serenity asked.

"My trap card, Silver Dollar." Joey explained as he pointed to the face up trap, "It negates any attacks launched at a monster that has less than 1000 attack points."

"Very clever Joey." Serenity sneered, "I'll end my turn then. But what could one lousy monster possibly do to threaten me?"

"I'll show you." Joey stated as he drew, "But first, my machine has to go for a spin."

The machine whirred, and the numbers flashed by again. They finally stopped, and settled on five again. This time, a hatch opened in the center of the gizmo, and a large cannon pointed out toward Serenity's field.

"Looks like I get to destroy another one of your monsters." Joey stated, "So to keep him away from my traps, I think I'll blast Ryu Senshi!"

The cannon fired, and a large bomb landed in Ryu Senshi's hands. The warrior went wide eyed for a split second, and then the bomb exploded, shattering him into dust. The hole behind Serenity's monsters howled again as another card was ejected from her graveyard. The cannon retreated back into the machine.

"I can still use Branch to bring Warrior Dai Grepher (2200/1600) back again." Serenity responded as she placed the monster on her field, "So don't think you've made things better for yourself."

"We'll see." Joey said as he swapped the monster on his disk for a card from his hand, "I sacrifice my swordsman to summon Maximum Six (1900/1600)!"

The warrior kid faded away, and a large crack appeared in the ground. The cave began to tremble, and a huge man with six arms and blue skin burst from the floor! Above Joey's head appeared a large, blue die, which fell to the ground and began to roll around.

"That thing kind of looks like Asura Priest." Celeste commented as she drew closer to the seal, "Can it attack multiple monsters at once?"

"No." Joey said as the die slowed, "When he's summoned, I get to roll a die, multiply the result by 200, and add it to his attack points."

The die came to a stop, resting on the four. Maximum Six (2700/1600) let out a ferocious bellow as he beat his muscled chest with four of his six arms!

"So a four means my monster has 2700 attack!" Joey shouted as he pointed at Chimera, "And now he'll wipe the floor with Chimera! Go six hand slam!"

"Joey stop!" Yami shouted from outside the seal.

Maximum Six bore down on Chimera, and slammed it into the ground with his six arms! Chimera yowled in pain, and then shattered…

And both Berfomet (1900/1800) and Gazelle (2000/1200) reappeared! Both of them growled at Joey as the seal appeared on their heads, and they crouched down in defense postion.

"That was soooooo stupid." Serenity said as she placed two cards onto her disk, "When Chimera is destroyed; I can choose to bring back either Berfomet or Gazelle using his regular effect. And thanks to Branch, I got to bring one piece back anyway. So that means I lost one hundred life points to recover two monsters in defense mode."

Serenity: 6800

Joey: 6200

Joey frowned as he looked over his remaining five cards. He finally selected one, and slid it into his deck.

"I play one more card facedown, and end my turn." Joey stated as the card materialized in front of him, "Go ahead Serenity."

"Why thank you Joey." Serenity snickered as she drew a third card, "I think it's time to summon a monster that Celeste gave me…"

Celeste's eyes widened.

"Serenity, don't!" Celeste shouted, "I didn't give you that card so you could hurt Joey!"

"Thanks all the same though." Serenity smirked as she picked up two cards from her disk and put a new one on, "I tribute Gazelle and Berfomet to summon Wingweaver (3250/2400)!"

The two beastly monsters vanished in pulses of light, and a golden beam of light shone onto the field. From the light, descended a lavender haired woman, with six beautiful wings, wearing a golden toga. She had a peaceful look on her face, until a miniature seal imprinted onto her forehead. The angelic woman's countenance twisted into a sneer, and she turned her gaze on Joey, who raised his arms defensively.

"No…" Celeste muttered as she fell to her knees, "Joey, I'm sorry. Needlez promised me that no one would be hurt…"

"Don't worry, I can handle this." Joey assured her.

"That a fact?" Serenity taunted, "Wingweaver, destroy Maximum Six with heavenly might!"

The winged woman raised one hand, and a beam of light began to descend from the ceiling toward Maximum Six. Joey quickly struck a button on his disk, and his facedown card lifted, revealing the image of a group of people, one of them being attacked by a purple spirit.

"Sorry Serenity, but I activate Compensation Mediation." Joey announced as everything on the field faded away.

"What's happening?" Serenity snapped.

Joey removed the trap from his disk, and tossed it toward Serenity. Serenity caught it, and looked at her brother quizzically.

"Here's the deal Serenity, you have to mix my card with two non-monster cards from your graveyard." Joey explained, "But you might want to make sure that they're ones you want to use again."

Serenity pulled a pair of cards from her grave slot, and showed them to Joey.

"Fine then, I pick Tribute to the Doomed, and Pot of Greed." She said as she quickly shuffled the three cards together, "Now what?"

"Put the cards down so I can see them." Joey instructed.

Serenity placed the cards into her two free spell slots and one of her free monster slots. In front of her appeared the three cards, all facedown, one in front of the other two.

"And now, I pick one of them." Joey finished, "If I find my trap card, your battle phase is done!"

"There's only a one in three chance you'll find it!" Serenity scoffed.

"But there's still a chance." Joey declared, pointing to one of the cards, "And I pick the card you put in your monster zone!"

The card lifted. Everyone in the room held their collective breath…

And breathed out in relief as they saw it was Joey's trap.

"Shoot!" Serenity shouted, stamping her foot.

"Don't get frustrated." Joey said as Serenity tossed his trap back to him, "Those two cards you picked from your graveyard go back on top of your deck now. So you'll have a chance at me again."

Serenity heard these words and smiled. She took the two cards from her spell and trap zone, and placed them back on her deck. As she did, the field returned to normal, her Wingweaver still summoning a beam of light down on Maximum Six. Wingweaver gasped in surprise however, as a purple phantom grabbed her from behind and dragged her hand down. The light faded away, leaving Joey's monster unharmed.

"Why would you use a trap that would give me access to two of my strongest spells anyway?" Serenity asked.

"You're my sister." Joey explained, looking right at Serenity, "No matter what you do, you can't change that."

"So!' Serenity yelled, "All you ever do when some big adventure comes around is push me out of the way, saying that I'll get hurt or something lame like that!"

"But that's because we're family." Joey declared, his eyes narrowing, "I don't want to see you get hurt Serenity. The only reason I try to keep you away from situations like these is because I worry about you! I…"

Joey looked to the ground, his eyes filling with tears.

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you got hurt when I could have done something about it."

Serenity gasped in surprise, and drew back. She struggled to regain her composure, and pointed to her brother.

"It's…your turn Joey." She stammered.

Joey drew, and wiped his eyes. He looked over his cards as the machine began to spin. Each of the numbers lit up quickly, before stopping on a six.

"Six?" Serenity muttered quizzically as the machine began to spark and sputter.

"Now my machine self destructs." Joey muttered back. He didn't even flinch as the giant explosion filled the area next to him.

"Joey…" Serenity whispered, the seal on her forehead dimming slightly.

"I'll…have Maximum Six destroy Super Robolady." Joey sighed.

The six armed man leapt forward, and plowed the robotic woman into the ground. The robot screamed in pain, and vanished in a burst of sparks.

Serenity: 5800

Joey: 6200

Joey waved his hand, signaling the end of his turn. Serenity stayed silent as she drew, her eyes on Joey the whole time.

"_Finish him Serenity."_ Needlez voice echoed in her head, _"Ye know ye want to…"_

"I play Pot of Greed…" Serenity mumbled, sliding the card into her slot.

The green jar appeared, and Serenity picked up two more cards. The pot shattered as she looked at the cards.

"_Do it!"_ Needlez ordered, the crystal in Serenity's hair clip flaring with green-blue light.

"Now, I play Tribute to the Doomed and discard one card to destroy Maximum Six…" Serenity continued, placing another card into her disk.

Hundreds of bandages swarmed around the multi-armed man as Serenity dropped a card into her graveyard slot, and he screamed as he was wrapped up and dragged into the ground! Joey didn't seem affected by this at all though.

"_He deserves it, all of it!"_ Needlez coached.

"And now I fuse Marie the Fallen one and The Forgiving Maiden via fusion gate." Serenity stated, sliding her last two cards into the graveyard, "And I summon St. Joan (3300/2000)."

Serenity slowly pulled another card from her fusion deck, and placed it onto her disk. In front of her appeared a large cross made of light, and from the light stepped a blond woman in silver armor. She carried a wonderfully crafted steel blade, and even as the seal appeared on her forehead, her eyes remained calm and loving.

"_FINISH HIM!"_ Needlez screamed in Serenity's head.

Serentiy and Joey looked at each other, and their eyes met. Both of them had tears in their eyes as they realized what was about to happen.

"Serenity, you have to fight it!" Celeste shouted, pounding frantically against the seal, "You can't just let Needlez control you like this! Please, fight it!"

"_Don't listen to her!"_ Needlez commanded, _"Destroy Joey!"_

"_No." _Serenity thought simply.

"_WHAT!" _Needlez shouted.

"_I'm not…going…to hurt…my brother!"_ Serenity shouted in her mind.

She fell to her knees, clutching her head. Serenity screamed as the seal began to shimmer and fade from her forehead, and the one on the ground began to falter as well. Joey gasped, and started toward his sister, but Serenity's monsters jumped in his path!

"Serenity!" Joey shouted, reaching for his sibling as Joan and Wingweaver stubbornly kept him away.

"She's fighting the seal." Brian realized, a smile spreading across his face, "I have an idea everyone. You know how Needlez told us our seals came from a more powerful one?"

"Yeah, I do." Mako nodded, his eyes going wide, "Oh, I get it!"

"Everyone, get around the seal!" Brian ordered, "Focus all your elemental power on it!"

The Elemental Duelists all quickly dashed forward, each of them standing an equal distance away from each other on either side. Zeffie and Gold were across from each other, as were Mako and Tim, and Brian and Celeste. The six of them all pressed their hands up against the seal, which began to strike back at them with green electricity.

"This hurts!" Zeffie screamed, a barrier of wind forming around her, trying to push the lightning back.

"Stay focused Zef!" Gold shouted back, as bits of rock and stone began to fight against the lightning.

The seal's energy continued to crackle around the six duelists, as Yugi and Kaiba watched helplessly. The green lightning was slowly being forced away from the six duelists however, being forced back to the seal. Soon, each of the duelists was pressing a large circle of their own element against the barrier!

"DARKNESS!" Brian yelled.

"LIGHT!" Celeste shouted.

"WIND!" Zeffie screamed.

"EARTH!" Gold intoned.

"FIRE!" Tim called out.

"WATER!" Mako finished.

The six plates expanded outward, covering the seal and blocking the view of Serenity and Joey, both of whom were still struggling.

"Release the Seal of Orichalcos!" All six of the Elemental Duelists shouted together.

The barrier began to pulse and sway. Suddenly, there was a flash of brilliant white light, and everybody screamed! As the light faded away, everyone was lying on the ground, including Serenity and Joey. Their duel disks had been shut down, and the Seal of Orichalcos card lay on the ground between the two, along with Serenity's hair clip. The clip cracked in half, and the green crystal in the center of it crumbled into a fine jade powder. As the orichalcum crystal dissolved, the Seal of Orichalcos card faded, until it was nothing but a blank piece of cardboard.

Serenity groaned, and struggled to her feet. She looked around the room, her eyes going wide as she saw her brother nearby, lying completely still.

"JOEY!" Serenity screamed, scrambling over to her older sibling.

Joey groaned, and slowly sat up. Serenity wrapped her arms around his chest in a tight embrace. Joey gasped in surprise, but quickly returned the hug.

"Serenity!" Joey cheered, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, are you?" Serenity sobbed, tears streaming down her face, "Oh Joey, I'm so sorry! I never meant…"

Joey put a finger to her lips. Serenity continued to cry, Joey wiping away her tears. The others were all getting up, and saw their friends sitting in the center of the room. Yugi moaned a little, and looked down to find that Yami's astral form lay next to him. Obviously, the blast had knocked the spirit back into the puzzle.

"You don't have to worry Serenity, everbody's okay." Joey assured his sister with a smile.

"Um…" Celeste muttered, stepping closer.

Serenity saw her, and drew back. Celeste raised her hands to show her hands were empty.

"Don't worry, no evil accessories this time." She promised, "I just wanted to apologize for what you two went through. If I knew what Needlez was going to try then I never would have agreed to it."

"Of course you wouldn't." Yugi nodded as his partner slowly rose to his feet, "No decent human would dare to pull something like this."

"Now just what is that supposed to mean laddy?" Needlez's voice echoed through the room.

"Needlez!" Yugi shouted, "You aren't going to get away with this!"

"We'll see laddy." Needlez promised, "Now come to the final chamber if you wish to try and end this…"

Everyone in the room looked at one another. They all nodded, and began toward the exit of the throne room.

"_Needlez, I promise that you will pay for all the misery you've caused me and my friends."_ Yami thought as he walked next to Yugi.

Yugi smiled as he started toward the exit, being sure to stomp on the now blank card in the center of the room. As he left though, the card faded away into blue-green light…

_Hold onto your hats folks, next chapter we're starting the biggest duel of our fic! It's time for Needlez to step forward and show us his true dueling power as he prepares to face the pharaoh. Can Yami and Yugi defeat this wicked mastermind? Find out in our next chapter_

_Clash of the Titans_

_Maybe the Elemental Duelists can lend a hand…_

---

Original cards

---

Compensation Mediation

Trap

Image of a group of people, one person being attacked by a purple spirit.

This card may only be activated when your opponent declares an attack. Your opponent must select two non-monster cards from their cemetery and shuffle them together with this card. You then must select one of the three cards at random. If you select this card, your opponent's battle phase immediately ends, and the two cards they selected are placed on top of their deck. If you pick either of the other two cards, place that card on top of their opponent's deck, and your opponent's battle phase continues as normal.

_This trap was first used by Joey in the anime episode "My Funny Valentine (Part 2)." All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

---

Maximum Six

EARTH

Warrior/effect

Six stars

1900 attack

1600 defense

When this monster is successfully tribute summoned, roll one six sided die. Multiply the result by two hundred, and add that total to this monster's attack points. This bonus remains for as long as this card is face up on the field.

---

Dangerous Machine Type 6

Continuous spell

Image of a large green slot machine with six windows

During each of your standby phases roll a six sided die with the following results:

1. Discard a random card from your hand

2. Discard a random card from your opponent's hand

3. Draw one card

4. Your opponent draws one card

5. Destroy one monster on your opponent's half of the field

6. Destroy this card

_Both of the above cards are actual cards in Japan. There were first used by Joey on the show in the episode "Down in Flames (part 2)."_

---

Berfomet

DARK

Fiend/effect

5 stars

1400 attack

1800 defense

When this card is successfully summoned, you may add one "Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts" from your deck to your hand.

---

Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast

WIND

Beast/fusion/effect

6 stars

2100 attack

1800 defense

Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts + Berfomet  
When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon either "Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts" or "Berfomet" from your Graveyard."

_Both of the above cards are actual monster cards in Japan. They were first used by Yugi in the anime episode "Yugi vs. the Rare Hunter (Part 1)."_

---

Feudalism

Continuous spell

Image of a chart, showing Dark Ruler Ha Des at the top. From him come several branches displaying other fiend type monsters.

You can only play this card when there is a field spell in play. Select a field spell from your deck, and play it in your normal spell and trap zone. As long as this card remains in play, treat the selected card as a continuous spell card. When this card is removed from the field in any way, destroy the selected card.


	18. Clash of the Titans

Disclaimer: I, Younger Hokage, wish to remind you that we don't own the rights to Yu-Gi-Oh. Nor will we in the foreseeable future. We do own all of our original stuff, unless otherwise noted. I would strongly recommend you deal with it.

_Previously,_

_As they approached the cave, Yugi and his friends were attacked by the other Elemental Duelists. Brian ran distraction (with Tim helping him out) as Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba headed deeper into the caverns. In Needlez throne room, a trap awaited them. One that forced Joey to duel his brainwashed sister who was wielding the dreaded Seal of Orichalcos. A last minute plea has now brought all those under Needlez control to their senses, and Yugi, Joey, Serenity, Kaiba, and the six Elemental Duelists are now prepared to give Needlez a piece of their minds._

_Assuming they can find him that is…_

**Chapter 17**

**Clash of the Titans**

Yugi and the others slowly made their way through the caverns. They were walking down a narrow passageway that led from the throne room. The six Elemental Duelists were leading the group, walking as close together as the passage would allow. Yugi, Joey, Serenity, and Kaiba were following them, watching as the six muttered to each other about something.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Serenity asked Joey.

"I'm hoping it has something to do with how they're going to repair the damage they did to my buildings." Kaiba growled.

"I think that's the least of our problem's Kaiba." Joey reminded the young CEO, "Or did you forget that there's still some maniac that wants to duel with Yugi?"

At the head of the group, Celeste had a serious look in her eyes.

"I don't care what you guys think; I'm letting him borrow it." She whispered to the others.

"I don't have a problem with that; I just want to make sure I'll get it back." Tim responded.

"If Yugi can't beat Needlez, none of us will." Gold whispered, "I think we should give him all the help we can."

"Yep, yep, yep!" Zeffie nodded, "Zeffie thinks these would really help Mr. Pharaoh. Besides, Zeffie feels bad for being so mean to him…"

"We all do, don't worry." Brian responded, "So it's agreed then?"

"I'm all for it." Mako stated as he reached for his deck.

The six of them stopped, and Yugi immediately came to a halt as well. Joey, Serenity, and Kaiba looked at the scene in confusion as each of their former enemies pulled a card from their respective decks.

"Something wrong?" Yugi asked as Brian stepped forward.

"Yugi, none of us have any clue as to what Needlez may have in his deck." Brian explained, "But we all agree, it's a safe bet he knows what's in yours."

"That's a good point." Kaiba muttered, "And if he does, he could have made a deck to counter your strategies."

"But we had an idea to help you!" Zeffie cheered as she jumped over to Yugi, holding out a card, "Here."

Yugi took the card, and looked at it. It was Chaosrider Gustalph.

"That's Zeffie's absolute favorite monster." Zeffie smiled, "You can use him to beat mean old Needlez!"

Zeffie raised a finger and held it in front of Yugi.

"But Zeffie is only lending it to you for this duel, got it?" Zeffie asked.

"Um…thanks." Yugi said as he looked at the card.

"We all have a card to lend you." Brian said as he placed a card in Yugi's hand.

Yugi gasped as he saw he had Brian's Vampire Lord.

"That guy has helped out of more than a few scrapes." Brian explained, "And I have a feeling he'll be a big help against Needlez…"

"And so will this." Tim interrupted as he held out his Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, "Just make sure that slimeball doesn't get his hands on it."

Yugi nodded as he took the card. Mako squeezed past Tim, holding out his Legendary Fisherman.

"I never got the chance to try this guy out against you in a duel." Mako sighed, "But maybe he'll be able to give you some support on the dueling field."

"And I can lend you someone who'll be a big help." Gold chortled as he took a card from his deck, "Granmarg the Rock Monarch's effect just can't be beat!"

Celeste stepped forward sheepishly, and held out one last card.

"This one has two effects, and the second may be a nasty surprise for your opponent." She explained.

Yugi claimed the card, seeing it was Soul of Purity and Light.

"Just remember to give them back." Celeste reminded him.

"Thanks." Yugi smiled as he took out his deck and began to leaf through it, "I guess I'd better remodel my deck to use all of these…"

The group all sat down, leaning against the smooth walls of the tunnel as Yugi began to sort through his cards.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Needlez stood in the crystal chamber, his eyes locked with those of the body in the pillar. The room was filled with a ragged breath and a beating heart, and the crystal pillar was slowly pulsing. Needlez turned toward the six stone tablets on the floor, and smiled as the six Elemental Seal cards appeared on the ground next to their respective tablets.

"It would seem that my plans are nearing fruition." Needlez smiled as he held up a blank card with a footprint stamped on it, "I just need a few more minutes…"

Needlez smiled as the seventh tablet, the one in front of the crystal itself, began to shine with blue-green light. On the stone appeared a familiar six-pointed star, and Needlez smiled as the card in his hand began to shimmer. He closed his eyes and began to chant in a mysterious language, his Orichalcum crystal glowing with a malevolent light.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in the tunnel, Yugi got to his feet. He plugged his deck back into his duel disk, and everyone else stood back up.

"Ready?" Brian asked.

"As I'll ever be." Yugi answered as he started down the tunnel once more.

"Then as ye approach, let me entertain ye with a wee history lesson." A familiar voice echoed from further down the cave.

"Needlez!" The Elemental Duelists gasped.

"That's me name, don't wear it out!" Needlez laughed, "Ah…I've waited seven-thousand years for a chance to say that…"

"What do you want?" Yugi shouted.

"Aside from ruling the world ye mean?" Needlez continued, "I just thought I'd tell ye a bit about the ancient tribe from which I came."

"Does this have anything to do with the Orichalcos?" Joey shouted.

"Right in one Joseph!" Needlez laughed, "Actually, my ancient tribe was descended from the people who first discovered the Orichalcos."

The team began to make their way down the hall as Needlez continued to talk.

"As some of ye already know, the first people to harness the power of the Orichalcos were the people of ancient Atlantis." Needlez stated, "They used the power of the sacred stone to create technological masterpieces, far beyond even our time! But eventually, the stone began to transform the people of the city into horrible beasts. Eventually, the power of Orichalcum became too great and resulted in Atlantis's king going mad and destroying the city."

"We already knew about that." Yugi stated as they turned right down another featureless hallway.

"Aye, but ye may not of known that there were some survivors, who left Atlantis before it met its end." Needlez continued, "They traveled across the ocean with naught but a few samples of Orichalcum stone to power their ships, and eventually found themselves in a new land. They began a new civilization their, one that they decided would not make the same mistakes they had before. They used some powers of the Orichalcos to jump start things: fertilize the land for farming, create irrigation ditches, etc. During these renovations, they made an amazing discovery: When the Orichalcum stone was exposed to an element, it changed and began to affect that specific element."

"Hence, our crystals." Mako guessed as the team made a left turn.

"Aye." Needlez confirmed, "So anywho, thousands of years past. The survivors of Atlantis built a flourishing city, but never allowed the power of the Orichalcos to possess them again. Most of what they had taken with them to fuel the ships had been transmuted to another element, but they kept a sample of the original stone around. It's powers had long since gone dormant. As time went on, exposure to the stone in the farmlands, irrigation canals, temples, and other such common places began to show. But rather than driving people mad, this new Orichalcum granted powers over the elements. This first came to everybodies attention during what I regarded as a rather humorous tale about a farmer's wife who got into a wee argument with her husband and literally brought the house down…but that's another story."

"Sounds like my ex-wife." Gold muttered.

"Don't ask." Celeste whispered to Yugi.

"The point is, people were developing powers due to the exposure to the crystals." Needlez stated, drawing everyone's attention back to him, "Not everyone mind ye, just a select few. The few were granted positions as mystics, using their powers to protect and nurture the city. They were so in tune with the crystals, they even discovered safe ways to break them into smaller pieces. Soon, smaller cities and villages began to spring up. The civilization grew into an empire…"

"And then you hit the scene." Brian guessed.

"That's right ye little smart ass." Needlez growled, "I had been the only human since the fall of Atlantis to be affected by the original Orichalcos stone."

"Ain't that a bitch." Tim smirked.

"Shut it!" Needlez ordered.

The six crystals the Element Duelists wore began to crackle with multicolored lightning, which quickly died out.

"Seems that no one is on me side." Needlez sighed, "But it won't matter! The original stone not only gave me power over a new elemental force, but allowed me to control the six original elements as well. This was roughly three-thousand years after the fall of Atlantis, and our civilization had reached its peak."

"And how can ya be so sure you descended from Atlantis?" Joey questioned.

"Because I, like the other mystics, was one of the few allowed to read the records of our founders." Needlez answered, "Only the mystics and village elders were trusted with the information about our civilizations true past, for fear that the tragic history of Atlantis might repeat itself."

"You mean where a total psycho messes things up for everyone else?" Tim smirked, "No, that's not what happened at all…"

"I told you to shut it!" Needlez yelled as the group made a left turn again.

"How is it that you were the only one who was affected by regular Orichalcum?" Celeste queried.

"Because one of the survivors was a member of the royal family." Needlez laughed, "In fact, he was the brother of Dartz, the final king of Atlantis!"

Everybody stopped in their tracks, Yugi's eyes widening in shock. His Millennium Puzzle flashed, and Yami took over.

"Dartz never mentioned having a brother." Yami stated.

"I'm sure he didn't." Needlez explained, "Dartz and his brother never quite saw eye-to-eye about the power of the Orichalcos. The brother eventually fled with the other survivors, leaving his insane brother to meet with his twisted end. And wouldn't ye know it, I wind up being descended from him. The brother had been exposed to regular Orichalcum as much as any other member of the royal family, and that was recorded in his very genetic code. I won the DNA lottery when I was conceived."

"Yeah, you inherited a world destroying power that drives everyone that uses it completely crazy!" Celeste spat as the group picked up the pace again.

"I'll ignore that." Needlez growled, "Even after my elemental powers were sealed away, my spirit evaded death. I roamed the world, waiting for a chance to come back, while reincarnating myself every hundred years or so. I'd always be sure to keep away from any chance of drawing attention to myself, because each time I came back I restored a wee amount of my former strength. With this latest body direct from bonny Scotland, I'd finally accumulated enough of the old mojo to find me old, mummified body. I knew that if I restored its elemental powers, I could find a way back to my rightful position of supreme ruler of Earth."

The team finally entered a large chamber. It was roughly twenty feet by twenty feet, with absolutely no distinguishing features other than several torches lining the wall.

"I don't get it, we should be in the seal room where Needlez kept his body." Brian muttered.

"I'm seven-thousand years old, not stupid." Needlez stated as he stepped into the room, "I don't need ye brats to be trying anything funny with me corpse, not when I'm this close! I'd told ye I recovered a bit of my powers, so I decided to reshape the cave a wee bit to give me time to prepare."

"Prepare what?" Gold asked.

"The ritual that will restore my old body to its former glory." Needlez answered as he pulled seven cards from his robes.

Everyone else gasped as they recognized the images on the cardboard rectangles.

"The Elemental Seals and…some blank card?" Joey gasped, "Wait, what's with the blank card?"

"It used to be Serenity's Seal of Orichalcos, but my traitorous little friends thought it fit to end that." Needlez answered as the six cards with pictures began to glow, "But I just need a teensy bit of energy from their seals and…"

The blank card began to shimmer, and the Seal of Orichalcos, that dreaded six pointed star, faded into view on the card. Needlez threw back his head and laughed as he tossed the other six seals aside.

"So the elemental seals were parts of…" Yami gasped.

"The Seal of Orichalcos!" Needlez laughed as he pulled a deck of cards from his robs and shuffled the seal in, "But I'm not completely evil pharaoh, I'll give ye a fair chance. If yeh'll kindly step forward we'll play a few rounds of Duel Monsters."

"And I suppose the loser's soul will be forfeit?" Yami guessed as he shuffled his own deck while the others stepped back.

"Of course, but not in the way ye think." Needlez confirmed as he placed his deck in his disk, "For the soul of the loser will be offered as a tribute to revive my old body!"

"Needlez, I'll make sure your plans end here and now." Yami promised as both of their disks activated, "In the name of the lives you ruined seven-thousand years ago!"

"Prepare yerself then," Needlez shouted, "Fer the duel that shall resurrect the Elemental Master!"

Yami's eyes narrowed as his own disk whirred to life. Both opponents squared off, and drew their opening five cards.

"In the interest of fair play, I'll allow ye to go first." Needlez smiled.

Yami: 8000

Needlez: 8000

"Very well Needlez." Yami growled as he drew his sixth card, then placed one onto his disk, "I'll open with Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) in attack mode."

A young, elfin man materialized in a flurry of sparks in front of the spirit. He wore green armor, a blue cape, and carried a shiny, steel blade. He raised his weapon, holding it in a battle-ready position.

"That's all for my turn Needlez." Yami declared as he waved his hand.

"And that's the start of mine." Needlez grinned as he picked up a card, then placed one on his own disk, "And I summon Homunculus, The Alchemical Being (1800/1600) in attack mode."

A beam of light struck the ground in front of Needlez, and from it emerged a young man. He wore nothing except several black straps across his eyes and on his arms and legs, and his skin was bright yellow. The strange figure raised his fist into a threatening stance, and turned his gaze to Yami's monster.

"Homunculus, wipe out his guardian with human transmutation!" Needlez ordered, pointing right at the elf.

Homunculus clapped his hands together, and then dashed forward. He slammed his hands into Celtic Guardian's chest, and a yellow glow surrounded the elf. He gasped…

And shattered into particles of light! Yami drew back as the lights flew past him, stinging his face as they did.

Yami: 7600

Needlez: 8000

"And then I lay this card facedown, your move." Needlez smirked as he slid another card into his disk.

The holographic representation of the card shimmered into existence behind Homunculus, who snickered evilly. Yami just drew another card, and looked over his options.

"_We need to be careful Yami."_ Yugi stated as he appeared next to his partner, _"It looks like we'll have to take him seriously!"_

"_Don't worry Yugi, we can handle this."_ Yami thought as he placed a card on his disk.

"I summon Skilled Dark Magician (1900/1700) in attack mode." Yami announced with a sweep of his arm.

In front of Yami appeared a young wizard, wearing bulky black robes. He carried an iron staff, and had three mystical orbs attached to his clothes. He gave his master a quick nod, before turning to Needlez.

"Now, strike down Homunculus with dark magic blast!" Yami ordered.

The spellcaster twirled his staff, and fired a bolt of black energy from the tip. Before it could hit Homunculus, a trio of robed priestesses jumped in the way. Needlez laughed as his facedown Waboku turned over, and the bolt of magical energy fizzled before it could do any damage.

"Nice try pharaoh, but Waboku stops ye from harming me or my monsters this turn." Needlez laughed, "Anything else ye want to try?"

"I'll just set one card to finish my turn." Yami sighed as he slid another card into his disk.

The card materialized behind his magician, who pointed his staff at Homunculus. Needlez drew his next card, and a wicked smile crossed his features. He began to laugh maniacally, his golden charms clinking and chiming as they shook with the rest of his body.

"You wanna let us in on the joke?" Joey asked, "What's so funny?"

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Brian muttered as Needlez opened his field slot.

"And yew should." Needlez stated as he put a card into the slot, "I activate: THE SEAL OF ORICHALCOS!"

Yami's eyes widened in fear as the all-too-familiar circle materialized on the ground around him and Needlez. A pulse of energy shot out, knocking everybody else present to the floor On the floor between Yami and Needlez appeared the six pointed star, and a miniature version of the seal emblazoned itself onto latter's forehead. He continued to laugh as his eyes began to glow red, and the same symbol appeared on his monster. Homunculus (2300/1600) grinned evilly as his body was surrounded by a blue-green aura.

"I hope yer prepared to face yer doom pharaoh!" Needlez shouted, "Homunculus, destroy his puny magician!"

The yellow humanoid lunged toward Yami's monster, who now had a glowing orb of light on his left shoulder. Just before he reached his target though, Yami's facedown card lifted. A mystical-looking circle came from the card, and quickly snapped around the alchemical being's waist, freezing him in place!

"What in blazes!" Needlez shouted.

Then he heard Yami laughing himself. The ancient spirit was snickering a little as he moved his hand away from the button he had just pressed.

"Your monsters may gain strength from the seal," Yami explained, "But that doesn't make them immune to trap cards. My Spellbinding Circle will hold Homuculus in place, until I can find an effective way to deal with him."

"That a fact…" Needlez grumbled, "The mystics who imprisoned me tried tricks like this, and they never worked for very long."

"Except that last one." Mako shouted from the sidelines as he got to his feet, "I mean, seven-thousand years? Last I checked that was a pretty long…"

"SHUT IT!" Needlez roared as the seal let loose another blast of energy, knocking the water duelist off his feet again, "Ye got lucky pharaoh, there's nothing more I can do."

"Very well then." Yami said as he drew another card, "Then I switch my Skilled Dark Magician into defense mode, and summon one more monster facedown."

Yami slid a card horizontally onto his tray, and turned the magician's card ninety degrees. In front of him appeared a facedown card, and Skilled Dark Magician fell to a kneeling position.

"And now it's your move again." Yami stated.

Outside the seal, the others were getting back to their feet. Mako was nursing two large lumps on the back of his skull, and none of the others seemed too happy with being knocked over.

"You just had to mouth off, didn't ya?" Gold grumbled to Mako.

"He had it coming." Mako stated as he continued to rub the back of his head.

"Yeah!" Zeffie agreed with a nod before turning back to the seal, "Kick his butt pharaoh! It would serve him right!"

"No, what would serve him right would be a flaming enema." Tim growled as his hands ignited.

"Thank you for those multiple disturbing images bro." Brian sighed, placing a hand on Tim's shoulder, "Anyway, I don't think we have much to worry about yet. Yami hasn't even used any of his strongest monsters."

"But I doubt Needlez has either." Celeste stated as she stepped forward, "Homunculus is a fairly common monster, but it's effect is useless unless it's used with…Uh oh."

"What?" Joey asked, turning to the light duelist who was turning paler by the second.

"This…could be bad." She muttered.

In the meantime, Needlez drew a new card and smiled.

"Well now, this is a pleasant surprise." He smirked as he placed the card on his disk, "I summon Element Dragon (2000/1200), in attack mode!"

A roar filled the cavern as a new creature materialized. It was a young dragon, with a long neck. It had red scales, that turned yellow on its underside, and a mane of orange hair on its head, from which a pair of short horns emerged. It had a bird-like beak, and a pair of red, bat like wings with a green membrane. Etched across its body were several small letters, running along its legs and wings. It let out another roar and thrashed its tail as the seal appeared on its head.

"What is that?" Yami gasped.

"This is one of the six protectors of the elemental goddess." Needlez explained, "This young dragon was once a servant of fire, like many of his kind, but he was so weak that he was ridiculed by his draconic brethren. The goddess of the elements took him in though, and gave to him two blessings in return for his service to her."

"Two blessings?" Yami queried as he looked to the dragon, "What do these blessings do?"

"Unfortunately, I can only show ye if the powers of fire or wind are present." Needlez sighed, then smiled, "Fortunately, that's where Homunculus comes in. Homunculus, become wind!"

The immobilized creature's skin began to change! The yellow color faded away, and was replaced by a light green. At the same time, about half of the letters on Element Dragon began to glow the same color.

"When wind is present on the field," Needlez explained, "It's breeze grants the dragon extra speed. Thus, it can attack twice in one turn, as long as its first attack destroys a monster."

"And Homunculus can change to any element Needlez desires, once per turn, even if it can't attack." Celeste finished from outside the circle.

"In other words, Homunculus is just perfect fer me Alchemy Deck." Needlez laughed.

"Alchemy deck?" Joey muttered.

"I've heard of this kind of deck. Basically, it revolves around the four basic elements of fire, water, wind, and earth." Tim explained.

"Yes, but at the same time most of the monsters in it are either light or dark." Celeste continued, "So it revolves around changing the elements of your monsters to what you need them to be, just like alchemy was an attempt to turn one material into another."

"Now then, Element Dragon, destroy his Skilled Dark Magician with fire flapping!" Needlez ordered.

The dragon released a blast of fire from its beak, and flapped its wings. The flames expanded from the added oxygen, and rushed forward, consuming Yami's monster before it had time to scream.

"And now destroy his facedown monster!" Needlez shouted.

The dragon launched a second wave of fire, and the facedown monster turned over to reveal a large man in a green shirt and orange pants crouching behind a gigantic purple shield. The flames harmlessly bounced of the shield, and Needlez gasped as some of them licked across his body.

Yami: 7600

Needlez: 7400

"Nice try Needlez, but Big Shield Gardna (100/2600) seems to be a bit too much for your dragon to handle." Yami commented.

"Maybe so, but since he was attacked he has to switch to attack mode now." Needlez pointed out as the shielded man stood up, lowering his shield to his side, "I'm laying one card down and ending my turn there pharaoh, now let's see what ye can do."

A new card appeared in front of Needlez as Yami drew. His eyes widened as he saw the card he'd just picked up. He smiled as he quickly removed the Big Shield Gardna from his disk, and placed the new card in his place.

"I owe this one to Gold, your former duelist of earth." Yami declared as his shielded monster vanished, "I offer my gardna to summon Granmarg the Rock Monarch (2400/1000)!"

The ground began to tremble, and from the earth emerged an eight-foot-tall giant! He wore golden armor, and had huge arms covered in golden gauntlets. He let out a deep, throaty laugh as a large rock began to float next to him.

"Now that I successfully tribute summoned him, Granmarg will destroy one facedown card you control." Yami declared, "So I choose the only facedown card on your field!"

The rock in front of Granmarg flew forward, and slammed into the brown card. It shattered, and Needlez gasped at the loss of his Negate Attack card.

"Now, I'll have Granmarg destroy Homunculus with rock smash attack!" Yami shouted.

The golden giant pulled back his fist, and swung it forward like a wrecking ball. Gold let out a cheer as the immobilized creature burst into fragments, and Element Dragon growled as the glowing letters on its body were extinguished.

Yami: 7600

Needlez: 7300

"Yeah! This takes me back to those tourneys in New York!" Gold shouted as he mimicked his monster's punch, "Go get 'im Granmarg!"

"Yew shut up!" Needlez ordered, waving his hand.

Another blast of energy shot from his palm, and Gold grunted as he was knocked onto his rear.

"I now set one card facedown, and end my turn." Yami declared, sliding another card into his disk.

Needlez snapped another card from his disk, and smiled as he saw what it was.

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!" Needlez called out as he placed the card into his disk.

"Not the swords!" Yami gasped as a cage of green swords, made entirely from light, formed around him and Granmarg.

"Aye laddy, the swords." Needlez nodded, "That should give me three turns to take care of Granmarg, so I hope ye aren't too attached to him…"

Needlez chuckled as he watched Gold stumble back to his feet.

"In the mean time, it's yer move." Needlez acknowledged.

Yami drew, and looked at the card he had picked up. He carefully slid it onto his disk, and a new facedown monster appeared.

"I'll set this monster facedown and end my turn." Yami announced.

"Good." Needlez smirked as he drew, "Now let's see what I got…"

The others watched with bated breath as Needlez looked over his hand. The element duelist smiled as he took a card from his hand.

"I summon a second Homunculus (2300/1600) in attack mode!" Needlez called out as he placed the card onto his disk.

Another yellow skinned man jumped out onto the field, the seal instantly appearing on its forehead. It smiled at Needlez, as if waiting for an order.

"I think I'll have this one become fire." Needlez stated.

The human-like creature nodded, and its skin quickly changed from yellow to red. Element Dragon (2500/1200) let out a grateful sounding growl as the letters that didn't light up last time began to glow red. Yami drew back as he saw the dragons' attack score begin to boost.

"Now the blessing of fire becomes apparent." Needlez intoned as he pointed to his dragon, "The flames of rage in my dragon have reached their peak thanks to the presence of an actual fire monster. Therefore, his attack power increases by 500 points!"

"Yugi!" Joey shouted.

"Don't panic Wheeler." Kaiba ordered, "If I know Yugi, he already has a plan for this."

"Don't ye wish that was true." Needlez scoffed, "Dragon, yer target is Granmarg!"

The dragon released his blast of fire once more, aiming toward the golden man. He let out a roar of pain as he shattered into pebbles!

"Homunculus, take out the facedown monster!" Needlez commanded.

The fiery red monster clapped his hands again, and jumped forward. Yugi's facedown card lifted to reveal a peaceful blue skinned woman in a green dress. Homunculus smiled as he pressed his hands against the Mystical Elf's (800/2000) shoulders, and drew back. Immediately, her clothes burst into flames! She screamed in terror and pain, then vanished in a burst of fire.

Yami: 7500

Needlez: 7300

Yami flinched and raised one arm in front of his face as the flames flared up. He lowered his arm, and smiled as he did so…

"Thank you Needlez," Yami grinned as he pressed a button on his disk, "By destroying one of my monsters you activated Soul Rope!"

The facedown card lifted, and revealed the image of a golden man with a golden rope flying from his chest. A similar rope now shot from the card and struck Yami's deck, causing it to pulse with golden light.

"And just what does this do?" Needlez asked.

"It allows me to pay 1000 life points to summon a four star monster from my deck." Yami stated as he took his deck out of his slot and selected a card, "And I know just who I want…."

The ancient duelist placed a card on his disk, and in front of him appeared a strange figure. It seemed to be made of pink stone, with a round body and a pair of pink wings sprouting from its back. The creature pumped its fist into the air, revealing a large S mark on it chest.

"I select Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500/1800)!" Yami declared with a dramatic sweep of his arm.

Yami: 6500

Needlez: 7300

"Notice me caring." Needlez responded with a sarcastic tone, "That puny rock can not help ye."

"We'll soon see won't we?" Yami challenged, "Are you done now?"

"Aye." Needlez nodded.

"Then I draw." Yami declared as he did so.

"_And what a draw it is!"_ Yugi exclaimed when he saw the card.

"And now I activate Graceful Charity!" Yami continued as he slid the card into his disk.

An orb of light flew from his disk, and hovered over head. The light faded away, revealing an angelic woman holding a glowing card in her hands. She raised the card over her head, and it split into tiny motes of light which floated onto the pharaoh's deck. He smiled as he drew three cards, and quickly placed one onto his disk.

"And now I summon Watapon (200/300) in defense mode." Yami announced as the cottonball fairy jumped onto the field in front of him.

The tiny creature looked up its master and let out an adorable squeak.

"Now wait just one minute." Needlez protested, "Ye are supposed to discard two cards before yew do anything else after playing Graceful Charity."

"Normally yes, but Watapon's effect states that I can summon it the moment I draw it by a card effect, no matter what the circumstances are." Yami explained as he slid two more cards into his graveyard, "And now that it's on the field, it will serve as a sacrifice for a monster that helped us in the past."

Yami quickly removed Watapon's card from his disk. The little fairy winked, and vanished in a pulse of light. In its place, a column of bats rose up and began to swoop around in circles over head. From the bats appeared the impeccably dressed vampire, who flashed a fang-filled grin to Needlez.

"Brian's Vampire Lord (2000/1500) will help me now." Yami declared.

"And how will he do that when he's weaker than both of my monsters?" Needlez challenged as Homunculus cracked his knuckles.

"With some help from Celeste's monster." Yami stated as he moved his hand to the graveyard, "I remove Watapon and Mystical Elf from play…"

The two cards were ejected from Yami's disk, and he placed them into his deck case. He then took the final card from his hand, and placed it on the field. Rather then the monster appearing in front of him though, this one came into existence behind him! It was a silver female spirit, with beautiful wings. She smiled as she gently wrapped her arms around her controller's shoulders, resulting in Yami beginning to blush.

"_Good thing Tea isn't here to see this."_ Yami said to himself.

"_Yeah…When she asks what happened, let's not tell her about this part." _Yugi agreed.

Needlez cleared his throat, snapping Yami and Yugi from their conversation.

"I highly doubt that Soul of Purity and Light (2000/1800) can attack through my swords, which don't disappear till after your next turn anyway." Needlez pointed out, "So if I may…"

Yami nodded, and Needlez swiftly drew his fourth card. He frowned as he saw what it was.

"It seems I'm being forced to waste my time dealing with the weaklings my former allies have leant ye." He grumbled as he waved his arm toward Yami's side of the field, "So while he could easily handle any of those pathetic creatures, I think I'll do the most damage possible and have Element Dragon wipe out Gamma."

The dragon blasted forth its flames once more, and fueled them with a flap of its wings. As the flames flew toward Gamma though, Soul waved one hand. An aura of silver light surrounded the flames, causing them to die down a bit. Whatever she had done though hadn't been enough, Gamma was still melted into a puddle of molten stone.

Yami: 5800

Needlez: 7300

"Now what happened!" Needlez shouted, "I should have done 1000 damage, not 700!"

"It seems these "weaklings" have powers you weren't aware of." Yami smirked, "Soul of Purity and Light can't bear the sight of violence against her friends. So long as she's on the field, each of your monsters will have their attack points reduced by 300 for the duration of your battle phase."

"Meaning if I attack with Homunculus, it will be a draw." Needlez grimaced, "A situation I'd rather avoid at the moment. I end my move now pharaoh."

Yami drew, and he smiled as he saw what he held. He played the card, and a cage of swords crashed to the ground around Needlez now!

"Looks like I drew my own Sword of Revealing Light." Yami stated, "So your swords will now vanish since I end my turn here, buy your imprisonment will begin!"

The swords surrounding Yami shattered one-by-one, leaving Soul and Vampire Lord with Yami. The two monsters smiled at each other and nodded, then turned toward Needlez.

"Ye really enjoy holding me back, don't ye?" Needlez stated with a quizzical tone as he drew, "These tricks won't protect ye forever, I'll get at yer life points eventually."

Needlez snickered a bit as he tapped the end turn button on his disk.

"I've waited seven-thousand years fer my chance to rule the world, I can wait three more turns…" He mused.

Outside the seal Joey pumped his fist into the air.

"Alright Yug! Now you got a chance to really turn this duel in your favor!" Joey cheered.

"Don't get to confident Joey." Brian muttered, "Something isn't right…"

"Needlez has come too far to let his plans ride on one duel." Celeste stated, rubbing her chin in thought.

"Knowing Needlez, he's probably trying to manipulate us again." Tim said, his eyes growing wide, "He wants us to think he wants to win the duel. But really he…doesn't care?"

"That's it!" Kaiba shouted, "Needlez said the loser's soul would revive the Elemental Master but he never said it had to be Yugi's!"

"Of course, if it was his body, it would probably work even better with his soul." Celeste nodded.

"Then we have to stop this." Brian declared.

"Let's break the seal like we did before!" Zeffie shouted.

"Won't work." Serenity argued, her face becoming serious, "I was fighting the seal when you broke it before, but Needlez wants to use its power."

"Too bad we can't just attack Needlez." Mako grumbled.

Tim smirked as he looked over to the six cards lying nearby.

"Maybe we can." He whispered, "Needlez said he needed one sample of each talent. What if we gave him a little extra of one?"

"It would tip the balance." Celeste smiled.

"In our favor." Brian agreed, "But we'll need the seal cards, and Needlez sure won't let us try and get them."

"Leave that to me." Celeste volunteered as her ring began to glow, "Just face the door, and when you see the flash, grab your seal and Tim's and run like hell."

"In the meantime, I'll grab our stuff from our rooms." Gold smiled, "Needlez seems like the kind of jackass who'd take everyone down with him."

"Zeffie will help!" Zeffie shouted, jumping on the large mans shoulder.

Needlez looked right at the duelists.

"Zeffie will help what?" He asked, thankful ignorant to the previous conversation.

"Zeffie will help us kick your ass!" Gold responded, "But first…"

Celeste clapped her hands together, and Soul placed her hands over Yami's eyes. A flash of light filled the room, causing Needlez to cry out in pain!

"YOU LITTLE WITCH!" Needlez cursed as another pulse of energy shot from the seal around him.

Celeste screamed as she was smacked into the wall by the blast. She slid to the ground, but smiled as she saw that Needlez was still covering his eyes, and Brian, Tim, Gold, and Zeffie were gone. Mako helped Celeste up, and she smiled.

"_Go get 'em guys."_ She thought, _"We'll handle things here."_

_We're in the home stretch now duel fans! Next time, Yami and Needlez will conclude their epic struggle, while Brian and Tim race against the clock in an attempt to ensure Needlez's fate. Catch it all in our last chapter_

_The Amazing Dueling Hokage Brothers!_

_See ya then! And if you don't show up, we end without you…_

---

Original Card

---

Soul Rope

Trap

Image of a man with a golden rope flying from his chest.

When a monster in defense mode on your side of the field is destroyed in battle and sent to the graveyard, pay 1000 life points. Special summon from your deck a level four monster.

_This card was first used in the anime by Yugi in the episode "Clash in the Coliseum (part 2)." It is also a real card in Japan, so all credit goes to its creator._


	19. The Amazing Dueling Hokage Brothers

Disclaimer: (Hikari steps up to a microphone with several papers in her hand)

Okay, guess it's my turn to do the disclaimer. We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, even though we wish we did, we only own the Elemental Duelists (Except Mako) and our original cards (unless otherwise noted). Hope you readers enjoy the chapter!

(Hikari steps down, and the curtain lifts)

_Previously,_

_The time had finally come. Yugi and Needlez began their duel, one that would decide the fate of the world. The loser would resurrect the Elemental Master, and if that happened, destruction would rain again. As Yugi and Needlez dueled, the Elemental Duelists, Joey, Kaiba, and Serenity, realized that Needlez probably had a back up plan. Gold and Zeffie went to gather their things, while Brian and Tim ran off to try and nip Needlez's plan in the bud. Thanks to Celeste's brilliant distraction, Needlez didn't notice them leave, but now all his attention is on the pharaoh…_

**Chapter 18**

**The Amazing Dueling Hokage Brothers**

The two duelists stood staring at each other.

Yami: 5800

Needlez: 7300

Yami had Vampire Lord (2000/1500), Soul of Purity and Light (2000/1800), and the Swords of Revealing light holding his opponent prisoner.

Needlez had the dreaded Seal of Orichalcos, which was providing power to his fire aligned Homunculus the Alchemical being (2300/1600), which provided strength to an Element Dragon (2500/1200).

"I've no idea what my failures of minions are trying to do, blinding me like that." Needlez growled as he turned to Celeste and Mako, "But I don't really care. Now make yer move pharaoh!"

"If you insist." Yami sighed as he drew a new card, "Then I shall activate Card of Sanctity, so we both draw until we hold six cards!"

Yami drew six times, and Needlez three. Yami smiled as he saw what had appeared in his hand.

"Now for a card I haven't played in a while." He smiled as he put the card in his disk, "I equip Vampire Lord with Horn of the Unicorn!"

The undead king smiled as he reached under his cape, and removed a glowing blue horn that crackled with mystical lightning.

"Oh crap, that gives any monster an extra 700 attack points!" Needlez gasped.

"That's right." Yami confirmed, "Vampire Lord (2700/1500), feed on Homunculus with children of the night!"

The vampire opened his cape again, and several electric blue bats swooped out. They dove on the red skinned man, who screamed and fell over before shattering into fragments.

Yami: 5800

Needlez: 6900

"And since he damaged your life points, I can now choose for you to discard another type of card from your deck." Yami declared as Vampire Lord stepped forward, "So if you'd kindly discard one spell card?"

Needlez sneered, and removed his deck from its slot. He silently slid a Megamorph from his deck, and put it in his graveyard. As he did, Element Dragon's (2000/1200) runes faded again, and its attack fell without a fire monster present.

"I hope ye enjoyed that, because it won't be happening again." Needlez growled.

"We'll see." Yami smirked as he put two more cards into his disk, "I'll lay these down and end my turn."

The two cards appeared before Yami, and Needlez drew.

"Lay as many cards as ye like, they won't help ye now." Needlez growled, "I summon Element Doom (2000/1200) in attack mode!"

A terrifying roar sounded, and a new monster appeared. He looked like a human with rocky brown skin. He had black wings and a long, snaky tail, and he had runes like Element Dragon's running over his wings and tail.

"This fiend was once a servant to darkness." Needlez smiled, "But he was far too low on the social ladder fer his own tastes. The goddess of the elements asked for his service, and he accepted in return fer two of her blessings. The first was wind…"

"I already know what that does." Yami sighed, "It lets him attack twice if he destroys a monster with his first attack."

"Aye, but he also gained the power of earth." Needlez explained, "And I'll save that one fer a surprise. Fer now though, attacking is pointless and impossible."

Needlez placed two cards into his disk, and their holographic emissaries appeared before him.

"I'll just set these two cards down and end my turn." The mastermind stated.

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In the meantime, Zeffie and Gold ran into a new chamber. This one was furnished with a bed and desk like the others. In this one, the covers were slightly messed up, and there was plenty of clutter on the desk.

"Looks like Tim's room." Gold stated as he held out a large garbage bag, "Ye know what to do Zef."

Zeffie nodded and swept her arms. A huge gust of wind shot around the room, picking up clothes, spare cards, an empty lighter, and a few other personal knickknacks. They flew threw the air and into the garbage bag, which Gold tied off.

"Okay, next stop is Mako's room." Gold said, "You ready?"

"Don't worry Goldie, Zeffie could do this for hours!" The girl cheered as she and Gold ran from the room.

"I've asked you not to call me…Never mind." Gold sighed.

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In the meantime, Brian and Tim burst from the shadows in the seal room. The body's eyes focused on them immediately, sending a shiver down Brian's spine.

"So that's what it looks like now?" Brian asked, staring at the body.

"Yeah, kinda makes you wanna throw up doesn't it?" Tim answered.

"I'll be sick later." Brian said, turning to his brother, "Did you grab our seals?"

Tim held up the two cards in response, and Brian took the dark seal from him. He quickly shuffled it into his deck, and Tim did the same with the fire seal.

"We only get one chance at this. Whoever loses, loses." Brian stated as his disk activated.

"I'll see ya from the winner's circle." Tim joked, "Right now, the tension in the air is thicker than Kaiba's skull. Can we get on with this?"

"Then let's begin." Brian smiled, "A dueling demonstration…"

"From the Amazing Dueling Hokage Brothers!" Both shouted together.

They each drew five cards, and the life point counters set.

Brian: 8000

Tim: 8000

"Age before beauty." Brian joked as he drew a sixth card, "Let's see what I get."

Brian looked over his hand, and pulled one card from his hand. He carefully placed it on his tray.

"Here's someone that will look familiar," Brian smirked, "Vmpire Lady (1550/1550)!"

From the shadows rose the lovely vamipiress. She had flashed a fangy smile to Tim, and gave him a friendly wink.

"Oh crap!" Tim shouted.

"Hey, she's not _that _good a monster." Brian said.

"No, I gave Yugi my phoenix and you gave him your Vampire Lord!" Tim explained, "We don't have them with us!"

"That doesn't matter now." Brian responded, "We need to end this duel quickly, we don't know how long the pharaoh's duel may take. Now make your move."

Tim drew, and a frown crossed his face.

"Brian, we're going to destroy the body when one of us wins right?" Tim asked.

"Yes." Brian nodded, "The body and whatever soul was offered to it. Why?"

"What if the pharaoh loses?" Tim asked.

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Yami drew his fourth card. He cautiously looked over Needlez's two monsters, going over his options.

"_We need to be careful of those facedown cards."_ Yugi warned, _"We don't know what they might do."_

"_But at the moment, we have the strongest monster." _Yami pointed out, _"We need to press our advantage for as long as possible."_

"Vampire Lord, destroy Element Dragon!" Yami ordered.

The zombie type fired his bats again, and they swooped toward the dragon. The creature drew back in fear…

When Needlez facedown card lifted. Element Doom dashed over to Element Dragon's side, and the two of them nodded to each other.

"It's not that easy." Needlez laughed, "My Covering Fire trap will add Element Doom's attack to Element Dragons for this turn, meaning yer monster now fights a creature with 4000 attack points. Now, combo retaliation!"

The dragon shot out its flames again, and the fiend opened its mouth. From its mouth flew a blast of sand which shattered the bats. Vampire Lord screamed as the dragon's fire struck him, and he shattered into fragments.

Yami: 4500

Needlez: 6900

Yami cringed as his life points fell. He looked over his hand, and sighed. A card slid from his graveyard, and he placed it on top of his deck.

"Since it went to the graveyard, my Horn of the Unicorn now returns to the top of my deck." He declared, "Nothing more I can do, it's your move."

"That's what I thought." Needlez smiled as he drew, "Then I think I'll summon another of the goddess's servants. Once a servant to the power of light, this fairy chose to search for a higher calling. She found the elemental goddess, and was giving the powers of fire and water."

Needlez placed a card on his disk.

"I summon Element Valkyrie (2000/1200)." He laughed.

In front of Needlez, a young woman shimmered into form. She wore red armor and boots, plus a blue cape. She carried a spear, and her boots and arms were covered with the same runes.

"I end my turn with that, meaning yer pathetic swords are blown away." Needlez declared, the swords breaking one by one as he ended his turn.

"Before I move, I don't suppose you'd tell me what water does." Yami queried as he drew.

"Does it matter?" Needlez responded with a shrug, "There are no water monsters in play right now, are there?"

"_Not yet anyway." _Yugi agreed as he looked at the card Mako had given them.

"_We have Tim's phoenix and Mako's fisherman." _Yami thought, _"But we don't have enough to summon the phoenix, and the fisherman isn't strong enough."_

"_Maybe there's another way we can use it." _Yugi suggested, _"Think, there has to be a way."_

"There's still nothing I can do Needlez, I end my turn."Yami admitted with a frown, "But keep in mind that your monsters are unable to defeat Soul of Purity and Light."

"Aye, due to her effect." Needlez nodded as he drew.

A smile crossed his aged features. He placed a card in his disk, causing electricity to crackle over head.

"But it won't matter soon." He explained as he put a card into his graveyard, "I play Lightning Vortex, to destroy that pathetic pixy!"

"Pathetic!" Celeste shouted from outside the seal.

That was all she got out. A storm began to brew overhead, and Soul separated from Yami's back. She floated out to the front of his field, with a sad look in her eyes. A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky and eliminated Yami's final monster.

"Now my creatures," Needlez ordered.

"I activate Threatening Roar!" Yami interrupted, one of his facedown cards lifting.

A huge monster jumped from the card, and let loose a terrifying roar. All three of Needlez monster's drew back in fear. Needlez sneered angrily as he glared at the three creatures.

"Fine then, I'm done." Needlez sighed.

"Then it's my move." Yami said as he drew.

His eyes widened at the sight of the card he now held. Without a moment's hesitation, he placed it in his disk.

"And I activate my Spider Web spell card!" Yami shouted, a thin gossamer line flying toward Needlez graveyard.

"Spider Web?" Needlez gasped as the string struck his disk, "What's that?"

"It steals the last spell card my opponent used, and adds it to my hand." Yami explained as a green bordered card flew from Needlez to him, "So now I control your Lightning Vortex."

"Oh no." Needlez squeaked.

"And I'll activate it!" Yami declared, sliding Legendary Fisherman into his graveyard.

A huge storm appeared over the dueling field again. This time however, it was Needlez's monsters that were wiped out by a huge bolt of electricity. Yami smirked as he tapped another button on his disk.

"And now I activate Call of the Haunted to revive the monster I just discarded." Yami declared, "Legendary Fisherman (1850/1600)!"

Needlez watched as Yami's card lifted, and a purple mist floated from it. From the mist emerged a bare-chested man. He had a deep tan, and very closely resembled Mako. He carried a sharp spear, and rode on a giant shark.

"Idiot, ye could have revived a monster with more attack than that." Needlez laughed.

"Maybe, but I feel that each of the monsters leant to me deserves a chance to get even with you." Yami explained as he put another card into his disk, "Speaking of which, I play Premature Burial to revive Soul of Purity and Light!"

Needlez gasped as the spirit of light coalesced behind Yami once more. The shimmering maiden seemed quite displeased as she shot an ugly look at Needlez.

"Both of you, attack directly!" Yami ordered, waving his hand toward Needlez.

Fisherman drew back, and hurled his harpoon right at Needlez's chest. The soul raised one hand and fired a shimmering ray of silver light right at the villain's face. As the attack's approached, Needlez's last card turned over.

Yami gasped in horror as a shimmering barrier appeared before his monsters, showing their reflections! The attacks passed through the wall, and struck Needlez, though he didn't seem to be nearly as affected as he should. At the same time, the fisherman (925/1600) and the soul (1000/1800) were both covered in cracks like broken glass.

Yami: 3700

Needlez: 4975

"A Mirror Wall trap card…" Yami realized.

"Aye, to cut the attack of any monster you attack with in half." Needlez confirmed with a nod, "Guess it wasn't such a good idea to waste 800 life points on that fairy, was it?"

"Why I oughta…" Celeste growled as Mako quickly pulled her back.

"Celeste, don't forget the seal is still there." Mako reminded the girl, "I know you're upset that he keeps insulting your monsters, but you can't do anything about it right now."

"Yeah, just wait for Yug to kick his butt for ya." Joey suggested.

"And how is he supposed to do that?" Kaiba muttered.

"Like this." Yami responded as he removed the two monsters from his disk, "I'll sacrifice both of these creatures to summon Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys (2400/ 1600)!"

Yami placed another card onto his disk, and the two creatures before him were consumed by golden flames. Each of them shot an ugly look at Needlez before vanishing, and in their place appeared the beautiful golden bird. She began to sing a lovely song, and Needlez winced.

"_This could be bad."_ He thought as the monster continued its haunting melody.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in the seal chamber, Brian and Tim had been continuing their duel.

"We'll just have to trust Yugi and the pharaoh to win." Brian sighed, "And if they don't we still can't allow Needlez to get what he wants. Now come on, start dueling!"

"Okay, but you asked for it." Tim smiked as he drew, "I summon Blazing Inpachi (1850/0) in attack mode."

Tim placed the card down, and a giant made of logs rose up. The creature was literally on fire, and it turned toward Vampire Lady.

"Inpachi attack! Blazin beatdown!" Tim ordered.

The wooden creature pulled back his fist, and swung it toward the vampire mistress. She screamed as the flaming attack struck her in the stomach, and she shattered into fragments.

Brian: 7700

Tim:8000

"Now I'll set this facedown." Tim said as a new card appeared behind his monster, "Your move."

Brian drew, and a nervous smile crossed his face. He flicked open his field zone, and slid a card in.

"We knew we would have to play these sooner or later." Brian sighed.

"I was hoping for later." Tim confessed.

"Sorry." Brian shrugged, "Activate: Elemental Seal of Darkness!"

"So now I get to play Elemental Seal of Fire from my deck." Tim retorted as he removed the card and placed it in his own field slot.

Around the brothers appeared a circle of runes. The ones near Brian were black, and Tim's were red. A huge wall of black flames leapt up around the two, and Tim's monster began to burn with an even fiercer flame. Blazing Inpachi (2050/0) moaned as it was covered in a barely visible red tattoo. The same happened to Tim, while Brian was covered with black markings.

"I swear, this is the last time we use these." Brian promised as he put a card on his disk, "But it's the only way we can make our plan work. Now I set one monster facedown, and end my turn."

In front of the dark duelist appeared a facedown monster, which Inpachi and Tim eyed suspiciously. Tim drew and looked over his hand.

"This is obviously some bait on the hook, but I'll bite." Tim nodded, "Go Blazing Inpachi!"

The flaming golem threw a punch at the card before it. The monster flipped over, revealing a silvery pot with a single, green eye. The pot laughed, and exploded, taking the Inpachi with it.

"Damn Cyber Jars." Tim muttered as he took the top five cards from his deck.

"Looks like I get to summon Mystic Tomato (1600/1100) and Witch's Apprentice (750/500)." Brian said as he put the cards on his disk and added the other three to his hand, "But thanks to my witch, both of them gain 500 attack points, so I'm leaving them in attack mode."

Before Brian appeared the large, somewhat comical plant, and the winged Spellcaster. The young witch raised her broom, covering the field with an eldritch energy. Tomato (2100/1100) laughed as it and Witch (1250/500) gained an even darker aura.

"I got Great Angus (2000/600) and both of my Hands of Nephthys (800/600)." Tim sighed.

"Wait, both!" Brian gasped, "I never knew you had two! How did I not know you have two?"

"It's not like I put them on the field together." Tim pointed out as he arranged the cards, "Besides, I'm allowed to have more than one in my deck, I'm just limited to one phoenix. My hands will go facedown, and Angus will stay in attack mode."

In front of Tim appeared a fearsome, red boar-like creature with a terrifying look on its face. On either side of it were the two hidden Spellcaster maidens. The boar bellowed as the red fire marks appeared on its skin.

"Since it's still my battle phase, I'll have Angus smash your Apprentice." Tim declared.

The beast jumped toward the witch, who screamed in terror as she was knocked to the ground. She shattered into pixels, and Brian cringed a bit as his life points fell. The tomato (1600/1100) looked upset over her loss.

Brian: 6950

Tim: 8000

"Very nice move, my turn?" Brian asked.

"First I'll set these two cards facedown, and then end my turn." Tim smirked as he placed the cards in his disk.

The two cards appeared next to the first as Brian drew.

"Okay Tim, I don't have Vampire Lord but I do have someone who's pretty good in his own right." Brian stated as he took his only monster off his disk, "I tribute Mystic Tomato to summon Mefist the Infernal General (2000/1700)!"

The tomato laughed, and disappeared. In its placed strode a large black horse with a man wearing demonic armor riding on its back. The soldier carried a huge ax, which he easily hefted with one hand.

"And just so you know, Mefist packs a permanent Fairy Meteor Crush effect." Brian explained, "So he'll wipe out one of your facedown Hands with glaive of destruction!"

The demon slammed his weapon to the ground, and a shockwave flew from it. The energy struck one of the facedown monsters, which flipped to reveal the bird priestess. She barely had time to scream, before shattering into fragments.

Brian: 6950

Tim: 6600

"I hate Mefist." Tim muttered, "Now I have to discard a card since he damaged my life points."

"Yeah, but I choose a random card." Brian reminded his brother as he looked over his five options, "So I choose the second one from my right."

Tim plucked the card (Rush Recklessly) from his hand and dropped it into his grave slot. As he did, Brian placed one of his own cards into his disk.

"I'll end my turn with a facedown card." Brian announced as a card materialized behind Mefist, "Your turn."

Tim drew his fifth card.

"I summon Raging Flame Sprite (300/200) in attack mode." Tim announced as he slid the card into his disk.

The giggling, bouncing fire pixy jumped onto the field. She smiled as her wand sparked to life, and she aimed it right at Brian.

"Aw man, not her." Brian moaned.

"Yes her, and she's hitting your life points directly, as per her special effect!" Tim declared.

The pixy swung her weapon, and a shower of sparks flew over Brian. He batted them away, looking more annoyed than injured.

"And now, since she attacked your LP directly, she gets 1000 extra attack points." Tim stated.

A little fireball began to circle the pyro type, who giggled again as she waved her tiny wand.

"Now, Great Angus can attack Mefist!" Tim shouted.

The boar lunged toward the wicked general, who raised his ax in response.

"They'll destroy each other!" Brian shouted.

"Not if I activate the Rush Recklessly I had facedown." Tim laughed as the card behind his monster revealed itself.

Angus gained a sudden burst of speed, and his fist collided with Mefist's head before the fiend had a chance to react. The general shattered into fragments, which vanished into the shadows.

Brian: 6250

Tim: 6600

"Now, I'll end my turn." Tim declared with a smile and a snap of his fingers.

"Remember bro, just because we're dueling for the fate of the world doesn't mean we can't enjoy it." Brian said as he drew.

"The way I see it, this might be our last duel together." Tim admitted, "I figure: Why not live it up? I activate my second card, Thunder of Ruler during your standby phase…"

"So now, I'll have to skip my battle phase." Brian nodded as the trap lifted and a fearsome soldier jumped up behind Tim, "Clever. I'll just summon Giant Orc (2400/0) in attack mode."

In front of Brian appeared the fat orc, complete with his bone club. He looked around with a stunned look on his face, even as the black marks covered his body.

"That's all." Brian stated, pressing his end turn button.

"My turn then." Tim said as he pulled another card, "And I'll equip my Raging Flame Sprite with the Twin Swords of Flashing Light: Tryce!"

Tim placed one card in his disk, and then one into his graveyard.

"I have to discard a card to equip them, so I choose Flame Ruler." Tim explained.

Flame Sprite (800/200) frowned as her wand vanished. Then she smiled as two small swords, the size of rapiers to her, appeared in her hands.

"I know those weapons." Brian frowned, "They take 500 attack from whatever uses them, but they let it attack twice."

"Right." Tim nodded, "And she gets to attack your life points because of her own effect…"

"Meaning that she'll be gaining 2000 attack points per turn!" Brian gasped.

"Raging Flame Sprite, attack directly with Twin Sword Slash!" Tim ordered.

The pixy swooped right at Brian, and swung one of her weapons across his left cheek. Brian raised one hand to where a small cut appeared, and a second fireball began to orbit the little girl.

"Again!" Tim shouted.

The sprite (1800/200) swooped lower, and swung her second sword at Brian's chest! Brian leaned back a bit, so only his shirt was damaged by the attack. Flame Sprite (2800/200) giggled as a third fireball began to swirl around her. She floated back to Tim, a smile on her little face.

Brian: 3650

Tim: 6600

"Now, I'll move Great Angus to defense mode and end my turn." Tim announced as he turned the only other attack position card on his disk.

The beast fell to its knees, and lowered its head. Brian cautiously drew a card. A smile crossed his face, and he looked apologetically toward his brother.

"Sorry Tim, but I'm going to end this now." Brian said as his facedown card lifted, "But first, I activate Dust Tornado to destroy your last facedown card."

A blast of wind shot forward, and annihilated the only remaining surprise Tim could have hidden. The fire duelist frowned as his Mystical Space Typhoon shattered like glass.

"And then, I play Brain Control!" Said Brian, putting the card he had just drawn into his disk, "Letting me pay 800 life points to control one of your monsters. Want to guess what I choose?"

"My Flame Sprite." Tim guessed, "And…wait a minute. It has 2800 attack points now, and if it attacks it will be at 3800…"

"And then it can attack again for the game." Brian confirmed as a giant brain appeared next to him.

The brain extended a pair of misty hands, which grabbed the sprite. Her eyes glazed over, and she floated to Brian's side with a dazed expression on her face.

"Attack!" Brian ordered the sprite.

She flew forward, and stabbed her blade at the younger Hokage brother. He dodged to the right, causing the sword to pierce the sleeve of his jacket.

"I have become the architect of my own destruction." Tim frowned as he looked at his brainwashed monster, "Aw, damn it!"

"Finish this!" Brian shouted with tears in his eyes, "And I'm sorry bro!"

The Flame Sprite raised her blade again…

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Needlez was still nervously staring at the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys as Yami cleared his throat.

"Needlez? I'm ending my turn, so you can take yours." Yami reminded his opponent.

Needlez shook his head, and drew his next card. He snarled a bit as he looked at Mirror Wall.

"There's no way I'm paying to keep this here, so I choose to get rid of it." He stated.

The trap shattered, and the wall faded into non-existence. Needlez now had a clear field, Seal of Orichalcos aside.

"Bah, barely anything worth using." Needlez sneered as he put a card in his disk, "But at least I have this: Shooting Star Bow Ceal."

A shimmering bow and arrow set appeared before Needlez. He smiled as they floated ownerless in midair.

"That's an equipment spell." Yami pointed out, "And you have no monsters to equip it to."

"Correction, I have one monster I can use it on." Needlez smirked, "I'll equip it to that blasted bird ye have!"

The archery pieces flew toward Phoenix and attached to her leg. The Sacred Phoneix (1400/1600) screeched as the weapons began to drain her strength.

"Oh no!" Yami gasped.

"Aye pharaoh, by equipping this weapon to yer monster, I decreased its attack by 1000 points." Needlez taunted.

"Yes, but you gave her the power to attack directly." Yami pointed out with an angry look in his eyes.

"True, but seeing as there is nothing else I can do I've at least avoided some damage." Needlez said, "It looks like ye won't be doing much to me on yer next turn…"

"Fine, I draw." Yami growled as he did so.

"_Drat, there's nothing else _we _can do either." _Yugi frowned as he saw their hand.

"_Nothing but attack him directly." _Yami sighed, _"That will have to do for now."_

"Phoenix, attack his life points directly!" Yami shouted, pointing at Needlez for emphasis.

The weakened bird let out a screech, and launched a fireball right at Yami's foe. Needlez screamed as the flames hit him, and he stumbled backward. He quickly batted out a small fire that appeared on the front of his outfit.

Yami: 3700

Needlez: 3575

"Looks like the score is more or less even." Yami smiled, "Now make your move."

"Gladly." Needlez responded as he drew, "And I'll play the card I just drew: Card of Sanctity!"

Yami frowned as he drew two cards from his deck. Needlez was smiling as he drew four cards, and looked at them.

"Seems fortune favors me." Needlez smiled as he put a card in his disk, "Watch and learn laddie. First, I set this card facedown…"

The card appeared before Needlez, who put another one into his disk.

"Next, I activate Soul Charge to bring back the three monsters ye sent to my graveyard at the cost of 500 life points each." Needlez continued as another card materialized and began to glow.

"Then you'll have barely any life points left!" Yami shouted.

"Not with this plan." Needlez smirked, "Yew know about chaining cards, right? Well I'll chain the quickplay spell I just set: Emergency Provisions!"

The facedown card lifted, and a giant mouth came from it. It gnashed its teeth hungrily, as if waiting for a meal.

"I can activate spell cards in the same turn I set them." Needlez smiled, "And I can chain set cards to ones that I activate. So I chain Emergency Provisions, and sacrifice Soul Charge and Shooting Star Bow Ceal to it. Thus restoring 2000 life points!"

The mouth inhaled, and the two cards vanished in sparks of light. At the same time, three cards flew from Needlez's graveyard, and he picked them up.

"Of course, the official rules say that if I chain Emergency Provisions to a normal spell, I can sacrifice that spell and still get its effect." Needlez laughed, "So I still pay 1500 life points to revive Element Valkyrie, Element Dragon, and Element Doom! (2000/1200) X 3."

Yami gasped in horror as his opponent's life points raised and then dropped again. In front of Needlez reformed the spear wielding fairy, the dragonling, and the demon; none of which looked exceptionally happy.

Yami: 3700

Needlez: 4075

"Next, I play Snatch Steal to control yer phoenix!" Needlez declared as he put another card into his disk.

A pair of hands grabbed the magnificent creature, and yanked it over to the ancient evil. The giant beast gave Yami a sad look.

"Now, it's time to bring forth the mortal incarnation of the elemental goddess." Needlez intoned as he put fourth card into his disk, "I activate the ritual spell: Doriado's Blessing! And I offer this blasted bird as tribute to summon her."

The phoenix release one last, sad note as a circle appeared beneath her. Four columns; one of flame, one of ice, one of stone, and one of swirling wind; rose up around her. She vanished in a burst of sparkles, and Needlez pulled the wooden scepter from the waistband of his robe. He turned it in his hand, revealing several holes carved into it.

"I feel a wee bit of music is in order, to make my ultimate monster more at home." Needlez smiled.

He put the scepter up to his lips, and blew over one of the holes. As he did, music began to flow from the object. It was a strange, haunting melody, and the four columns began to move closer together.

"It's a flute." Joey realized, not noticing as Zeffie and Gold ran back into the room.

Gold put six large garbage bags on the floor in front of him.

"We're done raiding the rooms." He said, "Now what happened while we were gone?"

"Nothing good." Kaiba growled.

"Looks like Needlez is pulling out his trump card." Mako muttered, "Any idea what he might have meant when he said 'element goddess?'"

"Uh-uh." Zeffie muttered as she shook her head, "Maybe Celesty knows something."

The others looked at the light duelist, who was deep in thought. She slowly shook her head, and sighed.

"It's right there, I just can't remember its name or what it does." She explained, "But I _remember_ someone saying it was even better for this kind of deck than Homunculus."

The four columns converged, and a column of pure light formed. Everyone gasped as Needlez stopped playing, and in the light faded. In place of the column, there was now a young woman in blue robes. She had blond hair, and a dome-shaped head dress with a five-pointed star on the front. In the center of the star was a clear jewel, which was suddenly emblazoned with the image of the Orichalcos. The woman looked up at Yami, and she had a peaceful look on her face even as the wicked seal caused her eyes to glow red.

"Say hello to Elemental Mistress Doriado (1700/1400)." Needlez laughed.

"Why would you summon such a weak ritual monster?" Yami asked, staring at the spellcaster.

"Take a look at my other beasts." Needlez responded with a sickening grin.

Everyone looked at Needlez's other creatures, and Celeste let out a yelp of fear.

"All of their runes…They're glowing!" She realized.

It was true. The runes on Element Dragon (2500/1200) had lit up green and red like Christmas lights. The Element Doom's wings and legs were covered with green and brown colored letters. At the same time, Element Valkyrie's (2500/1200) arms and legs had been marked with red and blue symbols, and her spear was glowing at either end. The tip had a serene, blue light, while the butt of the spear blazed with a red glow.

"But that only happens if other elements are in play!" Serenity protested, "The seal makes all monsters dark in addition to their original attributes, but none of his monsters is anything but dark or light!"

"That's where yeh're wrong wee Serenity." Needlez snickered, "It's true Doriado is a light monster, and the seal allows her to count as dark as well. But Celeste was right when she said Doriado is better for my deck than Homunculus. The reason being: Doriado also counts as a creature of fire, water, earth, and wind!"

"All FOUR!" Mako shouted.

"That ain't fair!" Joey protested.

"Actually, considering how low her attack is…" Celeste started to say.

"Now don't try to start that." Needlez interrupted, "Take a look, I summoned her in my spell and trap zone!"

It was true. Doriado stood silently behind the other three monsters, in the spot normally reserved for spell and trap cards.

"Did ye forget one important property of the Seal of Orichalcos?" Needlez questioned.

"It lets the one who controls it summon monsters in their spell and trap zone." Yami muttered, "Thus giving them the potential to have ten monsters on the field."

"Aye, and ye can't attack my back row till ye clear out the front." Needlez nodded as he put his last card on his disk, "But I'm not half done pharaoh. I summon Element Saurus (2500/1200) in my front row!"

From the ground came another monster. This one was a large reptile, about the size of Yami. He had brown scales, with more of the runes covering his legs, back, and arms. It was bipedal, and looked like a miniature T-rex. In either forearm, it carried a small, blue orb.

Then, the Seal appeared right between its eyes. It roared as Doraido glowed, and the marks on its body shined with brown and red light.

"This wee dino was rejected from his family because he was the runt of the litter." Needlez explained, "Forsaken by his own earth-following clan, he rejected his ties to his former element and became a dark monster in service to the elemental goddess. She gave to him the powers of fire and earth. Ye already know what fire can do, but earth will negate the power of any monster my Saurus destroys in battle."

"And Element Doom has earth power too!" Kaiba exclaimed.

"Aye, but thanks to Soul Charge, I'm only permitted to attack with Doriado and Saurus this turn." Needlez confessed, "I brought the others back so they could watch the pharaoh meet his end. Doriado, attack directly with elegy of the elements!"

Doriado opened her mouth, and began to sing. It was a beautiful, wordless melody. As she performed though, six orbs appeared behind her: one made of shadows, one of light, and one each of wind, fire, earth, and water. Yami gasped as the orbs flew at him, striking him in the chest!

"And now, Element Saurus will end this!" Needlez shouted, "Magma cannon breath!"

The dinosaur roared, and spat a blob of molten rock from its jaws.

"If this hits, Yugi's done for!" Joey shouted.

Yami didn't seem concerned though, as he took one card from his hand, and placed it in his graveyard. A ball of brown fuzz leapt up in front of him, and squeaked before being dissolved by the molten slag.

Yami: 2000

Needlez: 4075

"Kuriboh." Needlez growled with hate in his voice.

"That's right, and by discarding him I've saved what remains of my life points." Yami nodded, "And since you can't do anything else, it's my turn."

Yami drew a sixth card, and looked over his hand.

"_I think we have everything we need for one big combo." _Yugi thought as he looked at the cards, _"If we can pull this off, we might just win!"_

Yami nodded in agreement, and placed a card into his disk.

"I play Double Spell." Yami declared as he slid Monster Reincarnation into his graveyard, "This lets me duplicate a spell in your graveyard at the cost of one card from my hand."

"And just what do I have that can help ye?" Needlez growled.

"Swords of Revealing Light!" Yami answered as the cage of swords slammed down around his foe.

"Ah…Yes. I suppose there is always that." Needlez sighed, "But all I need is a good spell destroying card to get rid of this and then yew!"

"That will have to wait." Yami responded as he put another card on his disk, "One of your former employees' monsters wishes to have a word with you. Come forth, Chaosrider Gustaph (1400/1500)!"

The roar of an engine filled the cave. Zeffie squealed with excitement as the green-skinned biker punk drove out in front of Yami, sending a spray of gravel across the field.

"Just some other lousy rebel without a clue." Needlez sneered.

"Did you forget his special ability?" Yami asked as Monster Reincarnation and Swords of Revealing Light slid from his graveyard, "I can remove two spell cards from my grave to increase his attack by 300 for each."

The motorcycle revved up as Gustaph (2000/1500) turned the gas handle.

"And then, I activate my Pump Up spell card." Yami announced as he slid the card into his spell slot, "It doubles the attack of one monster for one round only. Meaning Gustaph will now have 4000 attack points!"

Gustaph (4000/1500) began to shimmer with mystical energy. He smiled, and Yami pointed right at Element Doom.

"Gustaph, use exhaust rush to destroy his Element Doom!" Yami shouted.

The biker blazed forward, and popped a wheelie as he approached. The front wheel caught Element Doom right in its face, and the fiend roared in pain before shattering into a blast of pixels.

Yami: 2000

Needlez: 2075

"Very nice." Needlez said sarcastically as he clapped his hands, "But ye forgot that the effects of Gustaph and yer Pump Up card only last until the end of yer turn. Next turn, Gustaph will be as weak as ever."

"I haven't forgotten." Yami said, "But it's your move."

"I hope he knows what he's doing." Serenity whispered.

"Don't worry sis, Yug always knows what he's doing." Joey assured her.

Needlez drew, and smiled.

"Looks like I drew Pot of Greed." Needlez said as he plugged the card in his disk and drew two new cards.

He smiled, and put both of the cards into his disk. Two brown cards appeared next to Doriado.

"And I think I'll set both of them facedown." He smirked, "Your move pharaoh."

"Then I draw…" Yami stated as he drew his card, "And I sacrifice Gustaph to summon Dark Magician Girl (2000/1500)!"

The biker waved to Zeffie, and faded away. In his place appeared the sorceress, spinning her cane. She smiled, and threw a wink at Needlez, who just frowned.

"Then, I play Sage's Stone, which allows Dark Magician Girl to summon her teacher from my deck." Yami continuted as he threw another card into his disk.

A glowing jewel appeared, and the girl caught it. She held it over her head, and a bright light filled the chamber as Yami pulled a card from his deck. He put the card down, and the intimidating form of the Dark Magician (2500/2100) arose!

"Very clever, ye got out yeh're best monster. Yew no doubt have some plan involving them that will defeat me." Needlez laughed, "But allow me to throw a proverbial wrench into things and play one of my facedown cards…"

One of the cards next to Doriado lifted, revealing a samurai in a kneeling position.

"Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan!" Needlez shouted, "Now I can choose from one of four effects: I draw two cards, yew discard two cards, I destroy all spells and traps yew control, or I destroy all monsters yew control."

Yami began to sweat as Needlez closed his eyes…

"And I do believe I'll choose the effect that destroys all yer monsters!" He shouted.

The samurai drew his sword, which was immediately wreathed in flame. He charged forward, and swung his weapon, decapitating both the Dark Magician and his student! The samurai then sheathed his weapon, and disappeared.

"No!" Zeffie screamed from the sidelines.

"Those were two of his best monsters." Gold muttered numbly.

"Aye, and I think I'll also activate my other facedown card…" Needlez laughed.

The card lifted, and another samurai appeared.

"Another Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan!" Yami gasped.

"Aye, and this time I'll take the effect that lets me draw two cards." Needlez nodded.

Behind the samurai, and large tree rose up. A cloud of cherry blossoms bloomed on its branches, and the warrior smiled as he looked up at them. He and the tree vanished, and Needlez pulled two new cards from his deck.

"Wait a minute." Celeste protested, "Needlez, you need to have four monsters of different attributes on the field to use those trap cards!"

"Wrong again." Needlez grinned, "I need the elements of fire, wind, earth, and water on the field to use them. In case yew forgot Celeste, Doriado counts as all four."

"You do realize you could have used that second trap to destroy my swords." Yami growled, "Why didn't you?"

"Two reasons." Needlez explained, "One, yew still have a card in yer hand, and it might be dangerous to me. And two, it's just too much fun messing with yew! Now I see why Tim likes to do this to people."

Everyone else just glared at Needlez as he laughed maniacally.

"Besides, the swords will only last two more of my turns, and then yeh're through!" He guffawed.

"Your turn then…" Yami sighed.

Needlez drew a third card, and a smile crossed his face again.

"Seems luck ain't on yer side laddie." He said as he put another card in his disk, "I play Premature Burial to revive Element Doom (2000/1200)."

Yami: 2000

Needlez: 1275

From the cave floor burst the bat-winged fiend. It growled angrily as the green and brown runes began to glow on it again.

"And then I summon the fifth servant: Element Soldier (2000/1200)!" Needlez declared as he put another monster down.

A new monster that looked human appeared. He wore golden armor, and a blue cape. In his hands was a spear, covered in the strange runes. The runes also ran along his armor, and soon they began to glow blue and brown.

"This one is a fiend like Element Doom." Needlez explained, "But he hails from a land filled with snow and ice, where the people pay tribute to the powers of water in all of its forms. He left that home one day, seeking new lands and adventure. What he found was employment, in service to Doriado. She granted him the blessings of earth and water. Now through the might of the earth, he dampers his foes' tricks, and the cooling rush of water always reminds him of whom he serves."

"Say what?" Joey asked.

"I'm gonna guess that water power means the monster can't be brainwashed." Mako answered.

"Wish we had had that ability." Celeste muttered.

"Amen." Gold agreed.

"I'm done." Needlez said.

Yami frowned as he drew.

"_I have Brain Control and Dark Magician of Chaos, but neither of them can do me any good."_ Yami realized, _"Even if I controlled one of his stronger monsters, I'd never be able to make a real difference in time. I'll just have to hope that I can draw something on my next turn…"_

"I pass, there's nothing I can do." Yami stated.

"Then I draw." Needlez said as he pulled another card from his disk, "And now I summon the last of Doriado's servants. A young sorceress, much like Dark Magician Girl, who once studied the art of wind magic. She became quite talented, and Doriado offered her a chance to use her powers to protect the elements from evil."

"Looks like she failed if she's serving you." Yami interrupted, an angry look on his face.

"As I was saying, she accepted, and was given the powers of wind and water." Needlez continued, returning the glare, "I summon Element Magician (2000/1200) in my back row!"

Needlez put the card into one of his spell and trap slots. A young girl dressed in a green body suit jumped onto the field. She had purple hair, and a circle of runes floated around her body. The circle began to glow green and blue, and she smiled as the seal appeared on her forehead.

"Yer as good as done fer." Needlez smiled, "But I think I'll be a nice guy and show ye the last card in my hand."

He turned it around, showing a spooky graveyard covered with strange mist.

"Call of the Haunted." He smiled, "Not that it matters now. I end my turn, and the swords are gone."

The sword shattered for the third time that duel. Yami slowly drew his next card.

"_Come on, we have to believe!" _Yugi shouted, _"Everyone is counting on us, we can do this!"_

"_You're right."_ Yami nodded as he swung the card out to the side, _"Heart of the Cards…guide me."_

Yami looked at the card he held, and a smile crossed his face.

"It's over Needlez, I've won." He stated.

"How can yew win when I'm about to clobber ye on my next turn?" Needlez taunted.

"Easy, I'm going to end the duel on this turn!" Yami responded as he placed one card in his disk, "First, I play Brain Control, which will let me control one of your monsters as long as I pay 800 life points."

The giant brain appeared next to the pharaoh, and extended its misty arms forward.

"And just what did ye plan to control?" Needlez challenged.

"I think…Doriado will do." Yami responded as the elemental mistress was pulled to his side.

"Doriado!" Needlez shouted.

"Next, I play my Soul Taker spell card." Yami declared as he put another card in his disk, "It lets me sacrifice one of your monsters, as long as I give you 1000 life points in exchange. So I'll tribute Element Magician…"

The spellcaster in the back row gasped as a new card appeared before her foe. It glowed, and she vanished in a burst of light, leaving Needlez with an empty spell and trap zone (Premature Burial aside).

Yami: 1200

Needlez: 2275

"…And Doriado..." Yami continued as he put another card on his disk.

Needlez let out a shout of anger as the cornerstone of his strategy dissolved into sparks. Element Dragon (2000/1200), Element Valkyrie (2000/1200), Element Saurus (2000/1200), Element Soldier, and Element Doom all looked forlorn as their runes were extinguished, and their powers faded away.

"…To summon Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2600)!" Yami concluded.

A column of shadowy energy shot up in front of him. From the shadows stepped a powerful sorcerer, wearing a black body suit. He carried a magical staff, and his skin was pale blue. He smiled at his master, and spun his weapon. Eldritch energy began to converge in Yami's graveyard, and the pharaoh move his hand next to it.

"Now that I successfully summoned him, I may take any one spell I desire from my grave, and add it to my hand." Yami explained as a card slid out, "And I'll choose one that I discarded earlier with Graceful Charity."

"What's that?" Needlez asked as Yami inserted the card.

"My Diffusion Wave Motion card!" Yami responded, "This card costs me 1000 life points, but allows a spellcaster of seven stars or more to attack every monster you control! My Dark Magician of Chaos fits the bill, so do the math…"

"If he attacks all my monsters…" Needlez muttered, the fear growing in his eyes, "I'll lose 4000 life points! Oh this is really gonna hurt…"

"It's over Needlez!" Yami shouted as he played his spell

Yami: 200

Needlez: 2275

The magician held up his staff, the tip of which ignited with magical energy beyond description.

"Do it now!" Yami shouted, "Destroy every last one of his monsters!"

The sorcerer waved his weapon, and an unstoppable scythe of magic flew from it. Then another, and another, until the air was filled with the powerful spell. Needlez and his monsters screamed, and the spells struck them. Needlez's monsters were easily cut into ribbons by the powerful magic, and Needlez himself fell face-first to the floor.

"This madness has finally ended." Yami declared as the final life point count was set.

Yami: 200

Needlez: 0

Needlez lay on the ground, not moving. Yami breathed a sigh of relief, and the puzzle flashed, indicating Yugi was retaking control. The boy stood over his opponent, and gently nudged him with his foot, not noticing that the seal was closing in around them.

"It would seem…I've lost." Needlez moaned as he pulled himself into a kneeling position.

"That's right Needlez." Yugi stated, "That means your plans are all washed up."

"Oh really?" Needlez snickered as the circle passed over Yugi, and a column of green light surrounded the evil mastermind, "I think not little Yugi."

"What?" Yugi gasped.

"Ye thought I'd risk everything in a duel against a near undefeated opponent? I didn't plan on winning!" Needlez scoffed.

"But the Seal…" Yugi started to say as he took a step back.

"Was part of my plan!" Needlez shouted, "If yew had lost, I could have brought back my old body and controlled it like a toy robot, with yew as the battery. But since my soul is being taken in, I'll be put back in control of my old form…"

"So you'll be the Elemental Master again!" Yugi realized.

"That's right, and it's too late to go back now!" Needlez roared.

He threw back his head in terrible, mocking laughter as the green glow around him flared up. Needlez stopped laughing, his soulless body falling limply to the floor of the cave. Yugi stepped back in fear, as a beam of green-blue light flew from the chamber. He quickly knelt down, and snatched the Seal of Orichalcos from Needlez's disk.

"Come on! We have to follow him!" Yugi shouted as he dashed after the beam.

The others nodded, and ran after the victor, each of them silently praying that their plan would work.

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"_I can't believe he was so stupid, of course I had a contingency plan!"_ Needlez's soul laughed as it shot in to the seal room, _"Hey, what the hell…"_

Standing near the crystal containing the body, was Brian. Tim's jacket lay on the ground nearby in two separate halves, and Tim himself was standing with the fire stone between him and the crystal.

"_What…What do yew two think you're doing here?"_ Needlez asked as he began to circle the crystal.

"Just thought we'd give you a little gift." Brian smiled.

"A nice warm welcome to your old body." Tim finished, holding up his manacle.

Needlez gasped in horror, the crystal in the manacle was blazing with red light.

"_Yew can't!" _Needlez shouted, _"If ye give any more power to the body, ye'll disrupt the balance of the elements!"_

"That's what we were counting on." Tim smiled as a point of red light floated from the gem, "Hey Brian, how many Hokage brothers does it take to screw up an evil plan?"

"Just two." Brian smiled as the crystal absorbed the red light.

"_NO!" _Needlez shouted, trying to pull away from the stone.

It was no avail. Tugging and screaming, the beam of light formerly known as Needlez was pulled closer and closer to the gem. Inside, the body was beginning to smoke, and its skin was turning red from heat. Needlez gave one last scream, and vanished into his old body.

"Ye…little…punks!" He shouted, not seeing Yugi and the others run in, "If I…go down…I'LL TAKE YE ALL WITH ME!"

"That's what you think." Celeste smirked, "Gold, do you have our things?"

"Right here." Gold confirmed, hefting up four of the garbage bags.

Zeffie smiled, and hoisted up two of her own.

"Then it's a good thing we still have our elemental powers." Celeste nodded.

"Especially the rapid transit ones." Mako agreed as he took Serenity's hand, "Everyone pick a partner and let's get out of here!"

Serenity gasped as she and Mako collapsed into water and vanished. Brian raised one hand over his head, and a blanket of shadows pulled him and Joey into the wall. Celeste and Yugi were consumed by an orb of light, while Zeffie spun around, and disappeared in a tornado with her two bags. Gold and his bags sank into the ground, and Tim ran up to Kaiba's side. He turned back to Needlez, and smiled.

"I'd tell you to go burn in hell, but it looks like your already doing it here." He joked as flames leapt up around him and Kaiba, "Sayonara sucker!"

The flames died away, and left Needlez alone. He was screaming as he began to burn, his powers so unbalanced he'd been unable to stop the escape of his former servants.

"I'll get ye back fer this!" He shouted, "I swear, if it's the last thing I do, I'LL GIT EVEN!"

And then, a giant explosion filled the chamber, and flames began to rush through the cave.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside the entrance to the cave, the Elemental Duelists and their cargo (both human and non) appeared right in front of the entrance. A fierce rumbling filled the area, and a wave of heat rushed out of the open cavern.

"Get out of the way!" Brian shouted, pushing everybody toward the side with a wave of shadows.

Brian dove to the side himself, just as a huge blast of flame shot from the entrance. Everyone was pressed against the canyon wall, but shocked that the flames weren't touching them! The explosion quickly died down, leaving the ground and walls blackened with soot and ash. Zeffie fell to her knees, gasping for breath.

"That wasn't easy." She whispered, taking off her circlet one last time, "Wind shields are hard!"

"You did great Zef." Gold smiled as he picked up the small child and sat her on his shoulder.

"Joey…" Serenity said, tapping her brother on the shoulder.

"Yeah, something wrong?" Joey asked as he took his sister's hand.

"Promise me that if you ever get involved in something dangerous like this again, you'll keep me updated." Serenity smiled, "But don't let me anywhere near it."

"You got it." Joey smirked.

Joey embraced his younger sister, and Kaiba just turned to Tim and scowled.

"This is all fine and dandy, but if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you reversed whatever you did to me back at my office." He threatened.

Tim nervously took a step back. He was sweating, until he looked into the cave. He then smiled as seven points of light floated out.

"I think we just did." He said as a red point of light floated into his chest.

Kaiba grunted as another red light touched him. Celeste was infused with a yellow one, Zeffie purple, Gold's was brown, Mako's blue, and a green one floated off into the sky.

"That one must be Marik's talent." Zeffie smiled as she drew a card from her disk, "And Zeffie has her's back! Hooray!"

Celeste smiled as she, Gold, and Mako all looked through their cards, their minds quickly re-adapting their strategies. Kaiba smirked as he looked at his own deck.

"Well, I guess there's only one thing left to take care of…" He smiled.

"You're right Kaiba." Yugi confirmed as he held up the Seal of Orichalcos.

The Elemental Duelists each nodded, and Tim held up the other seal cards. Each of the others took their respective seals, and turned to Yugi.

"We have to destroy them." Yugi said.

"But how?" Mako asked as he looked at the Seal of Water in his hand.

"Um…They're just cards." Gold pointed out, "Let's rip 'em up."

The others stared at their own seals, and Celeste began to laugh. She almost doubled over as she held up her own card.

"They cause so much trouble, sometimes you forget that they're just ink on paper outside a duel." She laughed.

The others all chuckled a bit as Yugi held up the Orichalcos. The Elemental Duelists all raised their cards…

And tore them up. Each of the seven tossed the pieces into the air, and watched as the remains of the seal were scattered to the winds.

_A/N: Keep reading, the epilogue is below the card info!_

---

Original Cards

---

Spider Web

Spell

Image of a giant spider web

Take the top spell card from the opponent's graveyard, and add it to your hand

_This card was first used by Yami in the anime episode "Grappling with a Guardian (part 3)." All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

---

Pump Up

Spell

Double the attack power of one of your monsters until the end of the turn.

_This card was first used in the anime episode "Fate of the Pharaoh (part 1)" by Yami. The credit for it goes to the writers of that episode._

---

Soul Taker

Quickplay spell

You may sacrifice one of your opponent's monsters. Your opponent gains 1000 life points.

_This card was first used by Yami in the episode "Final Face Off (part 4)." All credit for it goes to the writers of that episode._

_---_

_A/N: Here's the epilogue._

_---_

One week later, at the Domino City Airport…

The lobby of the airport was packed with people. Some were resting, waiting for their flights or family members to arrive, others were frantically racing to reach the proper gate in time.

Standing near one gate in particular were Yugi, Joey, Mako, and Seto. Next to the boarding gate were Brian, Tim, Celeste, Zeffie, and Gold. The Elemental Duelists were wearing their regular clothes now, having donated the "traditional costumes" to the local costume shop. The five near the gate had packed suitcases (Zeffie wearing her backpack) and Mako flashed them all a thumbs up. They were all waiting for the next flight home, seeing as their elemental powers had vanished along with the seals.

"Too bad you guys can't stick around a little longer." Mako sighed, "It was pretty cool being part of a team."

"Yeah, we should do this again sometime." Celeste nodded, "Without the whole 'trying to conquer the world' thing, of course."

"Besides, we have to get back to our homes." Brian smirked, "I bet our family back in Chicago is worried sick."

"That, and your brother needs to start his new job." Kaiba pointed out as he turned his gaze to Tim, "Unless he has enough to pay off the damage he did to my building right now that is…"

"Right, how much was that again?" Tim asked as he pulled out a wallet.

"Approximately, twenty-thousand American dollars." Kaiba snarled.

"Like I said, see ya Monday boss." Tim said with a nervous laugh as he pocketed his wallet.

"I didn't even know that Kaiba Corp. had American branch offices." Yugi mused, "You're just full of surprises lately aren't you?"

"I may have a few more." Kaiba responded.

"Hey Yugi, the next time Zeffie sees you she wants a rematch!" Zeffie cheered.

"Technically, Brian was the one that beat you." Gold pointed out.

"Doesn't matter, Zeffie wants to beat the King of Games!" Zeffie shouted, pumping her fist in the air.

"_Attention please, flight 242 to Chicago is now loading at gate 2." _A voice announced over the intercom.

"That's us." Brian said as he picked up his suitcase, "See you later everyone!"

The others all waved goodbye as the Hokage brothers headed through the gate behind them. The remaining team mates began to walk to the next gate, Celeste shooting Yugi a guilty look along the way.

"I really hope you won't hold what I did against me." She muttered to Yugi.

"Don't worry Celeste, I don't." Yugi said with a smile as they approached another gate.

"Yeah, Yugi doesn't carry grudges." Joey assured her.

"_Now boarding flight 166 to Los Angeles at gate 6"_ The intercom announced.

"That's me." Celeste gasped as she began to run, "Bye everyone! I'll e-mail you everyday!"

"We'll look forward to it!" Gold shouted with a wave.

Celeste disappeared into the crowd of people gathered around the gate.

"_Flight 550 to Kansas City now boarding at gate 12." _Came the next announcement.

"That's us." Zeffie said as she jumped up onto Gold's shoulder.

"Thanks for saving us from Needlez." Gold said as he turned to Yugi, "Ya really helped us out."

"Don't thank me." Yugi blushed, "From the sound of things, it's the Hokage's you should thank."

"Yeah, but you beat Needlez and helped us get rid of him." Gold smiled as he slapped Yugi on the back, "That makes you alright in my book!"

As Gold and Zeffie headed to their gate, Yugi gasped in pain.

"I'd hate to see what he'd do to someone he doesn't like." Joey commented as they headed to the exit.

"Take my advice: You don't want to know." Mako stated, "But I need to be going to. The sea, and more duels, await!"

"We'll look forward to seeing you again Mako." Yugi said with a smile, "But before I forget, what did you and the others do with the cards Needlez gave you?"

"Oh those?" Mako answered, pulling out his deck from the pocket of his shorts, "We kept most of them, though I'm definitely going to make a few changes to mine again. I must have been brainwashed to use such a dirty strategy!"

"And those 'Elemental Master' ritual monsters?" Kaiba asked with a growl, "I'm certainly hoping I've seen the last of Pyros…"

"Oh don't worry, we've all agreed not to use those monsters any more." Mako smirked, "They're powerful, but they reminded us a little too much of how Needlez tricked us."

The four had exited the airport now. Kaiba's private limo stood nearby, waiting to take them back home. Mako shook hands with all three of them, and headed to the bus stop.

"Till we meet again my friends!" He laughed.

Yugi and Joey smiled. Kaiba muttered something about time wasters under his breath as he wiped his hand on his jacket.

"Well, are you two coming or are you taking the bus with Aquaman?" Kaiba grumbled as he got in the limo.

Yugi and Joey just climbed in without a word, as the limo pulled away. It headed out onto the street, and headed back to the one place that every duelist, from the best to the worst, the most experienced to the least, always loved to return.

A place called home.

**A/N: That's it, that's all we wrote for this fic. But stay tuned everyone, cause we have a few more projects in the works. Keep an eye out for two fics with the Elemental Duelists.**

**One's called "The Grand Elemental Tournament"**

**The other is "Virtual Tournament"**

**See ya then!**


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